Report of 2008 NW TUC Annual Conference
TUC IN THE NORTH WEST
REPORT OF ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2008
12 April 2008, BT Convention Centre, Liverpool
Opening
Dave McCall, Chair of the NW TUC, welcomed delegates to the Conference and spoke of the work of the TUC in the North West over the past year and the challenges ahead. He referred to a number of colleagues who had sadly died since our last Conference and members stood in a minutes silence as a mark of respect for all those who had died.
He then reported the receipt of an emergency motion from the MATUC, on being put to the vote is was agreed by 64 to 22 votes to included it on the Agenda
The Regional Secretary gave a report on Conference Arrangements, the Programme of business and a Report on Motions for Immediate Actions. These reports were accepted by the Conference.
The Regional Secretary moved the Executive Report. The document reported on progress on the agreed work programme last year and proposed a set of priorities for the coming year. He concluded by thanking officers and members for their support and specifically thanked Dave McCall who was standing down as Chair and to Tyne Henney who was retiring from the TUC.
It was noted that the report would formally accepted at the end of the Conference as amended by the motions adopted.
Motions and Rule Changes
The following motions were debated, the numbering is that used in the documentation considered by the Conference.
Meeting the Organising Challenge
1 CWU: Speakers in Schools
The NW CWU welcomes and fully supports the TUC initiative of 'Speaker in Schools'. The trade union movement still has substantial work to do in order to ensure that young workers entering the jobs market are aware of Trade Unions and the benefits of being a member. The NW CWU believes 'Speaker in Schools' is fundamentally one of most important initiatives for the Trade Union movement today and requires a more coherent drive to engage young people effectively.
Therefore this Conference instructs the NW TUC to draw up an action plan and re-launch the initiative of 'Speaker in Schools' ensuring that effective support is in place to deliver the action plan.
The motion was carried unanimously.
2 NASUWT: Facilities and Facility Time for Union Reps
Conference notes the publication of the Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform's review of workplace representative's facilities and facility time.
Whilst conference welcomes the recommendations that the ACAS Code of Practice on Facility Time should be strengthened and the commitment of government to issue with the TUC and employers organisations a joint statement stating the positive role played by union reps, it is disappointed that the review did not contain a recommendation to give environmental and equality reps the right to paid time off.
Conference acknowledges that despite the importance of improving and extending facility time and facilities for union reps, many workplace reps face a battle with employers merely to ensure that they adhere to the current statutory requirements. For many reps the reality is that they struggle to ensure they obtain adequate time off to represent members individually and collectively, attend to union administration duties and organise and recruit members. In addition, many union branches experience difficulties in obtaining facility time for statutory roles such as union learning and Health and Safety reps.
Conference calls upon the Regional Council to launch a campaign within the region to promote the role of union reps and improve the facilities and facility time available to them. This campaign should cover the following areas;
Promotion of best practice across different sectors;
Regional promotion and roll-out of the TUC's Bargaining to Organise campaign as a means of supporting reps and developing their capacity to win facilities agreements that not only enable them to represent members individually and collectively, but to promote union membership and activity;
Support for unions engaged in efforts to force employers to meet statutory obligations in respect of facilities and facility time.
Finally, as part of this campaign, the Regional Council should conduct a survey of facilities and facility time issues amongst unions and union reps in the region and produce a report in time for consideration by the 2009 North West TUC Conference.
The motion was carried unanimously.
3 PCS: CALL CENTRES
Conference notes the continuing increase in the number of call centres and the challenges such centres present to their workers and their unions.
The introduction of factory style techniques and high degrees of regimentation, seeks to undermine advances made by trade unions in other areas.
Issues of particular concern include:
- Attacks on terms and conditions
- Deskilling
- Health and Safety
- Surveillance and electronic monitoring
- Inadequate training
The NWTUC is instructed to work with all affiliates, and where appropriate their national bodies, to establish a Charter for call centre workers to assist in protecting and organising call centre workers.
The Charter should include key demands including:
- Decent levels of pay and other terms and conditions negotiated through collective bargaining
- Adequate training and skilling
- Rigorous Health and Safety standards
- Patterns of work that meet the needs of staff.
The motion was carried unanimously.
4 LGBT Network: Discrimination a t the Workplace
This conference calls upon NW TUC to organise, if possible in partnership with its constituent unions and NW TUC LGBT group, training for union officers, workplace representatives and members regarding discrimination which LGBT people face in the workplace and strategies to identify and tackle such discrimination in the workplace.
The motion was carried unanimously.
5 UCATT: The B.N.P. Solidarity Union
Conference reiterates its total opposition to the B.N.P. and calls upon the
T.U.C. General Council to oppose with every endeavour the emergence of the B.N.P.'s Solidarity Union.
We must also challenge the Certification Officer's approval of such an evil organisation and in doing so, challenge the right for such an organisation to exist.
Amendment
MATC
Add after end of first paragraph ending with words 'solidarity union'
'This Regional Conference agrees to redouble its efforts to ensure that the BNP are also defeated at the ballot box, both in the 2008 Local Elections and in the 2009 European Elections.
This Conference calls on all local Trade Union Councils and Regional Trade Unions to liaise with local anti racist organisations to combat the racist activities of the fascist BNP'.
UCATT accepted the amendment and the substantive motion was carried unanimously.
Guest Speaker: Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary
Union Priorities on Jobs, Skills and Pay
6 Unison: Sub National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration
In the summer of 2007 the Government published a Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR). This Review signalled an enhanced role for local authorities in economic development and proposed closer working with Regional Development Agencies and the abolition of Regional Assemblies.
Our past experience of working with the Regional Development Agency is that business interests often take precedence over the interests of other stakeholders. If the Government is serious about accountability and involvement of other stakeholders, there is a need for the trade union movement to have more opportunity to present the case for working people and the unemployed. This North West TUC recommends that:
1. A direct approach is made to the North West Regional Development Agency in order to open discussions about how there can be greater involvement of the TUC in economic development matters;
2. That contact is made with other Regional TUC Executives in order to exchange ideas on best practice for engaging with the Regional Development Agencies on economic development issues.
- A direct approach is made to the Minister with responsibility for the North West region to ensure that the trade union movement, as represented by the North West TUC, is recognised as a significant stakeholder in the decision making processes concerning economic development and regeneration.
The motion was carried unanimously.
7 NUT: Public Sector Pay
Conference condemns Government attempts to restrict public sector wages to below the true rate of inflation, as measured by the Retail Price Index, causing real cuts in income for public sector workers.
Conference notes that the first group of public sector workers, whose below inflation pay 'award' has been announced in 2008, are the teachers. Conference gives its full support and backing to their campaign, which may include strike action.
Conference also notes and supports
- Composite 13 passed at Congress 2007 on Public Sector Pay.
- The General Council statement on public sector pay presented to Congress 2007.
Conference believes that public sector workers should not have to bear the brunt of Government cost cutting, and that public sector workers are the victims of inflation not the cause of inflation.
Conference therefore calls on all affiliates to
Vigorously support all those unions that take action and campaign against the staging of review body reports or against below RPI pay settlements.
Urge MPs to sign EDM 742
Offer maximum support to the TUC campaign on public sector pay.
'EDM 742
That this House applauds the work done by public sector workers; in particular recognises the vital role that teachers play in the lives of millions of young people; believes that those working in the public sector should receive a real terms pay increase; further believes that the retail price index, which is currently 4 per cent. should be used as a reference point for setting public sector pay rather than the consumer price index; recognises that the teachers' pay settlement of 2.45 per cent this year will in effect mean a pay reduction; and calls on the Government not to return to the days of boom and bust in teachers' and public sector pay with the consequential problems that this causes in relation to recruitment and retention and the maintenance of morale.'
The motion was carried unanimously.
8 Unison: Public Sector Pay
Conference condemns the Government's intention to restrain public sector pay to a level consistent with a 2% inflation rate until 2011.
With real inflation at 4% and average earnings at 3.6%, this is effectively a pay cut for public sector trade union members. At the same time pay rises in the private sector are running at between 3.5% - 4%.
We reject the Government's claim that public sector pay fuels inflation. Evidence shows this is not the case. Pay negotiations follow inflation which reflects the cost of what people buy - not what public sector workers earn.
A fair deal for public sector workers requires a co-ordinated campaign involving unions representing workers in the same sector and across the whole of the public sector.
Conference agrees that the NWTUC should:
1. Welcome the proposed national co-ordination of claims and a campaign against the 2% ceiling between public sector unions under the umbrella of the TUC;
2. Agrees that the NWTUC should co-ordinate the campaign between public sector trade unions in the region;
3. Support campaigns already underway by the unions currently involved in pay negotiations in local government, the NHS and elsewhere;
4. Encourage and support co-ordination between unions within the same employer;
5. Publicise the importance of public sector pay to the North West economy and local people;
6. Develop a programme of events to promote the campaign;
7. Ensure public sector pay is a key issue in the May local elections and North West MPs are lobbied to support our campaign.
The motion was carried unanimously.
Guest Speaker: Angela Eagle MP, Secretary to the Treasury
13.00 - 1.45 Lunch
Winning at Work
9 Unite: Employment Legislation
This Conference fully supports the 2005 Trade Union Congress Resolution 1, which calls for the repeal of anti - union laws and their replacement with a framework of positive rights in accordance with minimum International Labour Organisation standards.
Conference also notes with approval the T.G.W.U motion carried by the 2005 Labour Party Conference, calling for employment law changes to allow industrial action in support of a strike elsewhere, protection against dismissal for workers who go on strike and the barring of replacement workers being drafted in by companies during disputes.
Conference deplores the fact that a Labour Government continues to actively oppose any real change to the Tory implemented anti Union Legislation.
Conference calls on the North West T.U.C to give top priority to an ongoing proactive Campaign to win the first stage of the removal of all anti Union Legislation, with the aim to achieve the moderate Trade Union Freedom Bill in 2008.
This Conference calls for:-
A National March, Rally and Lobby of Parliament in 2008 in support of the Trade Union Freedom Bill.
Applying maximum pressure on our North West Trade Union M.P's to support the Bill.
A high profile awareness Campaign across the North West, making the public and our members understand how this unfair legislation, is intended to make it near impossible to take any industrial action, to defend jobs, wages and conditions.
Specific Education Courses run by the TUC and regional affiliates to ensure the full engagement of our activists in this Campaign, politically and industrially.
The motion was carried unanimously.
10 Unite: Employment Rights
This Conference welcomes the Employment and Trade Union Rights endorsed by the 2007 Congress and calls on the NWTUC to make the extension of employment rights for members a cardinal political objective.
Conference welcomes employment legislation enacted since 1997 setting minimum standards for wages and holidays for example, but considers that much more needs to be done to improve matters further and, in particular, calls on the NWTUC to campaign for:
The provision of full legal protection from the first day of employment.
Allowing every worker to be represented by a trade union, both individually and collectively and on any issue.
Support for workers in their demand for direct employment.
The extension of paid time off for all parents to care for young children.
Strengthening unfair dismissal legislation to enable interim relief awards and reinstatement or re-engagement decisions by Employment Tribunals to be mandatory.
Building on the existing work already carried out in the North West through various initiatives strengthen the protection against the exploitation of indigenous and migrant workers employed on part-time, temporary and agency contracts.
Ensuring workers are not discriminated against because they are disabled or on the basis of their sex, colour, creed ethnic origin, age and or sexuality.
Increased protection and compensation for employees in the event of bankruptcy and/or redundancy.
That the negative aspects of the Posting of Workers and Services Directives are not implemented in UK National Law.
A substantial increase in the National Minimum Wage and the introduction of a single rate that includes everyone over the age of sixteen.
The implementation of 'Dignity at Work' legislation to end harassment and bullying.
Conference recognises that the failure of the European Union and the UK Government to create a 'level playing field' of employment rights has allowed employers to exploit the UK's weak employment laws because it's cheaper, quicker and easier to cut jobs here compared to the jobs of workers in other countries. This was recently highlighted by the decision of Rolls-Royce plc to shift production of components from the gas turbine site in Bootle to its' Mount Vernon plant in the USA, threatening more than 200 UK jobs.
Conference calls for the initiation of both national and local campaigns in support of the above policy.
Conference calls for the campaign to include a national march, rally and lobby of Parliament and the engagement in a continuous debate with the various Trade Union Parliamentary groups both on a local and national level.
The motion was carried unanimously.
11 PCS: AGENCY WORKERS
This Conference recognises the potential for the exploitation of agency workers, including migrant agency workers, by unscrupulous employers. As a consequence of the Government's refusal to support equality of treatment for all agency workers, such workers are faced with unfair terms and conditions of employment, lack of protection under employment legislation and in some cases are used to undercut permanent work forces.
The NWTUC is instructed:
- to continue to support the campaign to compel the Government to support the draft EU Temporary Agency Work Directive (TAWD);
- to work with all elements of the labour movement in the North West, including Migrant Workers North West to organise agency workers;
- to actively promote the rights of all agency workers.
Amendment
MATC
Add at end
To call on the national TUC to continue to put pressure on the Government to drop their opposition to effective rights for agency workers
To work with the NW Group of Labour MP's to put pressure on the Government to support the Agency Workers Bill.
PCS accepted the amendment and the substantive motion was carried unanimously.
12 UCATT: Gangmasters Licensing Bill
Conference will aware of UCATT's resolution regarding the extension of the
Gangmasters Licensing Bill which was successfully carried at last year's
T.U.C. Congress.
However, we are gravely concerned to note that we were not successful at the Labour Party Conference.
Conference therefore calls upon the T.U.C. General Council to engage the
full services of the T.U.C. MPs and our membership to persuade the
Government that the Gangmasters Licensing Bill must be extended to the
Construction Industry therefore ending the systematic abuse and exploitation
of migrant workers.
The motion was carried unanimously.
Women
13 LATUC: Women's Pensions
The NW TUC is concerned that the Government has made no proposals for improving women's pensions. Of the 12 million women over 45 who have paid National Insurance contributions, seven out of ten are not entitled to a full state pension because they took years out from work to raise their families and so have not paid enough to qualify. We call on the TUC to press the Government to make up the shortfall in National Insurance contributions for all women in this position so that they receive the full state pension.
The motion was carried unanimously.
14 Womens Committee: Portrayal of Domestic violence
The NW TUC Womens Committee are alarmed that statistics show three million women in the UK face some form of gender-based violence and/or abuse on an annual basis.
However, over the last 12 months there have been instances where storylines in popular television soaps demean the misery and pain that women experience every day, even suggesting that women would lie and manipulate to portray themselves as victims of domestic violence.
The Women's Committee believe this shows a complete failure to understand how horrific abuse can be, and could discourage vulnerable victims from seeking help for fear of being disbelieved.
The NW Women's TUC calls upon the NW TUC to work with the Women's Committee and any other appropriate organisations to develop a code of ethics that can be utilised in circumstances where domestic violence and abuse is, or appears to be trivialised, both in real life and fictional situations. The purpose of this approach is to challenge any preconceived ideas or prejudices among writers and producers of such material. This would help bolster a zero tolerance approach to domestic violence in society.
The motion was carried unanimously.
22 Black Members Network: Romanian Travellers
The Black Members Group (TUC, Northwest) congratulate Congress for its long standing position of supporting minority and vulnerable groups in this country.
Mindful of the discrimination experienced by Romanian Travellers who come to Britain in lawful exercise of their freedom of movement in the EU, we urge Congress to hold urgent dialogue with the Labour government in order to ease the plight of the children of Romanian Travellers and their families who are, under current government policy, denied access to the labour market and welfare benefits.
Congress will be aware that the Romanian Travellers are victims of the racial discrimination and verbal abuse in their own country. They have been the victims of arson attacks near Bucharest without adequate protection of their legal rights.
We, the Black Members Group (TUC,Northwest), note with regret, the antics of newspapers such as the Daily Mail which has lead to the criminalisation of the Romanian Travellers. They have been subjected to fear and ridicule. The newspapers fail to take account of the policies that have deprived them of the lawful means of livelihood.
We, the Black Members Group (TUC,Northwest), call on Congress to take the following steps in order to ameliorate the dire circumstances of the Romanian Travellers and their children:
i. to negotiate with the government to grant a concession to the Romanian Travellers already present here in the UK to enable them to take paid employment
ii. to grant rights to their children to attend schools in compliance with the Education Act 1944
iii. to grant housing rights to the Romanian families already here to ease their housing plight
iv. to negotiate directly with the Romanian government to end discrimination against Romanian Travellers, failing which the UK government would withdraw the right extended to Romanians to participate in the HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Programme)
This motion was carried unanimously.
Emergency Motion
MATUC: Liverpool PFI
This conference notes with alarm that outline planning permission to rebuild the Royal Liverpool Hospital was approved by Liverpool City Council's planning committee on 18th March 2008. A report to the Council's Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee tabled 31 Jan 2008 described the purpose of the outline planning application as being 'to ensure a sound basis for the PFI procurement'.
PFI is already a thoroughly discredited scheme which involves the public paying hundreds of million pounds to private companies over decades for a new, smaller hospital building which will be privately owned at the end of it.
200 bed cuts are already envisioned by the hospital management itself, with an unproven and unpublished strategy of switching care to the community given as justification for this. Health Researchers note such justifications are commonly given for PFI schemes, without saying who will pay for such alternative services, and in most cases they do not materialise.
Furthermore the debt burden and funding gap directly caused by PFI is only likely to lead to further cuts in patient provision after the scheme begins.
Merseyside Keep Our NHS Public (KONP) campaign, supported by local trade unions and trades union councils, has been liaising with patient groups, medical professionals and Liverpool city councillors who oppose this scandalous scheme.
KONP has previously halted plans to privatise a new GP surgery in Maghull and effectively publicised the conflict of interest as Dermatology services at Broadgreen hospital were offered to a private health care corporation through a similar strategy and now requires the trade union movement in the region to give its full support to this campaign.
Conference notes that an 'NHS Together' event in Merseyside on Saturday 5 July is already being discussed to celebrate and defend the NHS, in what should be Liverpool's own year of celebrations.
Conferences agrees to call on the health unions involved in NHS Together to work with KONP and its networks, using their full resources and KONP's experience in the city on this issue to organise on 5 July a major public protest to celebrate and defend the NHS in this city and against the PFI plans for the Royal Liverpool Hospital
This event should highlight explicitly the threat to the NHS through privatisation and the wasteful and inefficient market model in health care. It will also illustrate how trade unions can take the lead in mobilising the public to protect the NHS and its achievements.
As a matter of immediate urgency Conference also calls on affiliates to lobby Liverpool city council, local MP's and the Royal Liverpool Hospital management directly to oppose PFI and highlight this campaign in the local media.
Unison expressed reservations on the motion and the mover accepted the reservations. The motion was carried with no votes against
International
21 MATUC: Iraq
The North West TUC Annual Conference expresses solidarity and support to Iraqi oil workers and the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU) in the ongoing campaign to fully unionise all oil fields in Iraq and to ensure the Iraqi people and their trade unions have a majority say in the production, development and ownership of oil in Iraq.
The Iraqi Hydrocarbon Law proposes a radical restructuring of the oil industry which will see foreign companies control the development and production of Iraqi's oil for up to 30 years. The laws provisions are unfair, untransparent and undemocratic and reflect the influence and interests of external actors: namely the US and British Governments and foreign oil companies. The contract being pushed will cost Iraq billions of dollars in lost revenue and surrender the country's sovereignty to foreign interests for generations to come.
This conference believes,
1. That legislation such as the Hydrocarbon Law, which will have a major impact on the future of Iraq's Economy, should not be passed while the country is still under occupation.
2. Long term contracts which give foreign and private companies control of production and development of Iraqi oil should not be signed when Iraq is still under occupation.
3. That decisions on the Iraqi oil industry should be made by the Iraqi people without outside interference.
4. That Iraqi society, including trade unions and industry experts should be involved in the formulation of oil legislation.
5. That Iraqi trade unions have the right to organise and take collective action, including industrial action, to protect their industries.
This Conference resolves:
1. To strengthen support for Iraqi trade unions in opposing oil privatisation and in seeking alternatives to it.
2. To campaign to stop the signing of contracts under the Hydrocarbon Law which rip off the Iraqi people.
3. For the TUC to write to Gordon Brown, Government Ministers, all North West MPs, as well as Iraqi Prime Minster Nuri Al Maliki, Oil Minister Dr Hussein Sharastani and Labour Minister Mahmud Jawad al-Radi, to express our strong concerns.
4. To organise solidarity action in response to industrial action undertaken by Iraqi unions against plans to sell out the oil industry.
5. To support the 'Hands off Iraqi Oil Campaign' and make a financial donation to the IFOU which is at the forefront of organising against the oil law and unfair contracts.
This Annual Conference of the NWTUC congratulates the demonstrations held in Merseyside and Britain on 23rd February to bring public awareness to the role of both Shell and BP in Iraq. The 23rd February 'Hands off Iraqi Oil' national day of action demanded that Shell and BP 'get their hands off Iraqi oil'.
The Executive had expressed reservations about this motion and the movers accepted the reservations. This motion was then carried unanimously
Motions for Immediate Action
The following motions were carried by the Conference without debate and the actions agreed:
15 NASUWT: Academy Schools
Conference reaffirms its opposition to the government's academy schools programme and its support for campaigns against the establishment of academy schools in the North West.
Conference also notes the publication of the TUC commissioned report by the Children's Services Network 'A New Direction; A Review of the School Academies Programme' and notes its recommendations.
Conference acknowledges however that despite its opposition, working in an academy school is a reality for a number of teachers and support staff.
Conference agrees that for these workers the best protection against the most nefarious aspects of working in academies lies in securing trade union recognition and automatic access to the benefits and entitlements in pay and conditions of service that other teachers and support workers in the maintained sector enjoy.
Conference therefore calls upon the North West TUC to support all unions engaged in recognition campaigns at academies and calls upon the Regional Council to lobby MPs, Local Authorities in the region and to support regional and national campaigns to secure the automatic granting of union recognition at academies, particularly those established from schools where union recognition is already in place.
It was agreed to support and carry out the action requested and support union recognition campaigns, to lobby MPs and local authorities and support union national campaigns.
16 NUT: Academies and Trust Schools
Conference congratulates affiliates for their public campaign against the principle of academies in the North West.
Conference acknowledges the financial pressure on Local Authorities to include Academies and trust schools as part of their strategic plans for education by the requirement to consider and evaluate the option of including an Academy as part of their Building Schools for the Future programme.
Conference is deeply concerned that the choice and diversity agenda is damaging the education system, undermining community cohesion and creating social segregation.
Conference instructs the North West TUC to:
- Convene regular meetings of all affiliates in the education sector to co-ordinate the production and distribution of materials to inform parents, governors and other stakeholders about the reality of Academies and trust schools and the potentially damaging effect they have on neighbouring schools,
- Lobby North West MPs to work towards halting the expansion of the Academies programme and returning existing Academies to maintained status
It was agreed to support and convene regular meetings of education unions to coordinate action and lobby MPs
17 UCU: Funding for Equivalent or Lower Qualifications
North West TUC notes with concern the proposed withdrawal of funding for Equivalent or Lower Qualifications (ELQs) in English higher education institutions and further education colleges.
The consequences of the ELQ withdrawal will be reduced participation in Higher Education, particularly from part-time students; it will disproportionately disadvantage women returners and older learners, and impact on the provision of trade union studies.
Specialist expertise and infrastructure in adult, part-time Higher Education may be permanently damaged as a result of the ELQ policy, hitting both first time and second time Higher Education students.
Congress calls upon affiliates to support UCU's campaign against the withdrawal of ELQ funding.
It was agreed to support and circulate to affiliates as requested.
18 UCU: Prison Staff
North West TUC objects to the right of prison governors permanently to exclude from their establishments, on 'security' grounds that are often not disclosed, members of civilian staffs employed by colleges and other contractors to deliver education programmes to inmates. Congress considers that the unrestrained exercise of this power, which often entails the technically fair dismissal of staff by their own employers without any substantial allegation or finding of misconduct, constitutes a denial of the fundamental human right to a fair trial. Congress calls upon the Home Office to reintroduce throughout the Prison Service a standard procedure for appeals against exclusion.
It was agreed to support and write to the Home Secretary as requested.
19 TSSA: Network Rail
That this Conference notes with concern the overrun of railway engineering work over the Christmas and New Year period 2007/08. Conference is particularly concerned and regrets the massive disruption this caused to passengers travelling to and from the North West during this period.
Conference further notes the information obtained by the Transport Select Committee that highlighted the complex contractual arrangements between Network Rail and its suppliers that contributed to this predictable and avoidable problem.
Conference welcomes Network Rail's apparent recognition of the problem and its intention to bring overhead line engineering work in-house.
Conference, however, considers that Network Rail needs to go further. It calls on NW TUC to use its influence wherever possible, including lobbying NW MPs and to campaign with the rail unions at regional level to encourage Network Rail to act immediately to take all such essential engineering work back in house.
Conference considers this is the best way to avoid a repetition of such avoidable problems and result in a better service for rail users.
It was agreed to support and raise with the NW Regional Assembly and NW MPs.
20 RMT: Transport Policy
Conference believes that an affordable, reliable and expanded railway is essential to the economic, social and environmental well being of the North West.
Conference is therefore alarmed that the most recent UK Government statistics reveal rail investment costs three times more than under British Rail, while punctuality and reliability remain below pre-privatisation levels. Conference condemns the continued wasteful failure of rail privatisation and reiterates its support for renationalisation of the railways.
Conference is concerned that transport is the fastest growing source of the greenhouse gases, primarily from road transport and aviation growth. Conference also notes with concern the confirmation contained in the December 2007 Government Transport Trends statistics that current transport policy is failing to get people out of cars and aeroplanes and on to trains and buses.
The report showed that two thirds of the increase in passenger-miles traveled between 1980 and 2006 has been thanks to car use, with growth in domestic air travel in second place. In addition the overall cost of motoring has remained at or below its 1980 level in real terms, while bus and coach fares and rail fares were both 40 per cent higher in 2006 than 1980.
Conference believes in an integrated transport strategy with a full role for aviation, bus, rail, road and shipping in reducing carbon emissions. Conference therefore agrees that the North West TUC should be fully involved in 'Towards a Sustainable Transport System' the Government consultation on how the transport sector can cut carbon emissions.
Congress is appalled at the continued exploitation of non domicile seafarers in the Irish Sea and agrees to work with maritime affiliates to build support for the campaign aimed at securing for these workers,
- Implementation of minimum employment standards
- The full protection of Race Relations Act
- The removal of the National Minimum Wage exemption.
It was agreed to support and respond to the Sustainable Transport Consultation and work with the maritime unions in their campaign.
23 GMATUC: Commemorating Our History
The history of the labour, trade union and co-operative movement has been an inspiration to working class people for almost two hundred years. The actions and struggles of individuals and groups of people have given hope and determination to following generations in their fight for democratic and economic rights.
The National Museum of Labour History (People's History Museum), the Working Class Movement Library and other such bodies have done excellent work in preserving the history of our movement and should be fully supported by all trade unions.
However what is also required is a more public acknowledgement of the important contribution that working class men and women have made in shaping our society. The cities and towns of the North West are littered with commemorations of kings and queens, lords, military figures and businessmen. There are very few statues and plaques which highlight the struggles and victories of working people.
Trades Councils, in the form of local representatives of the TUC, have played an important role in making the public aware of the history of our movement. This conference supports the ongoing campaign to commemorate our history and pledges its non financial support to affiliated trades unions and trades councils in pursuing their goal of persuading local councils to do more to commemorate the lives of working people.
It further agrees to co-sponsor a seminar, without any financial commitment, with GMATUC on how trades councils in the North West can effectively campaign, in their localities, to have memorials commemorating working class struggles erected in their area.
It was agreed to support and co-sponsor a seminar as requested.
24 GMATUC: Promoting TUC Policy
Trades Union Councils which are registered by the TUC have traditionally taken responsibility for making national TUC policy more widely known at local level. This occasionally entails placing information in the media, or responding to enquiries by journalists on particular issues.
In a lot of cases, the Trades Union Council's Press Officer or Secretary will be aware of current TUC policy on high profile issues such as the minimum wage, defence of public services and so on - or can easily find out the relevant information from the web or from Regional Officers.
However, policy on issues which are less well publicised, or which have not been the subject of Congress resolutions for several years, can be more difficult to identify. This can cause embarrassment if a journalist is asking for a rapid response for a news item. Press Officers can be faced with the dilemma of declining the opportunity to contribute to an important debate, or making assumptions about TUC policy that may turn out to be incorrect.
Conference calls on the NWTUC Executive to request that the TUC publish a regularly updated on-line key words database, which gives a summary of policies on a wide range of topics. This would be a useful quick-reference guide for Trades Union Councils in promoting TUC policy, and would assist in the formulation of future conference motions.
It was agreed to support and press the TUC nationally to take up the ideas in the motion.
25 LATC: Trades Union Councils
The NW TUC is concerned at the national decline in the number of Trades Union Councils and County Associations of Trades Union Councils. The status of Trades Union Councils must be raised as part of the TUC. We call on the TUC to urgently examine the feasibility of providing administrative and financial support to County Associations so that they can carry out their duty to develop and support local Trades Union Councils in their areas. This support should include the provision of at least one part-time administrative worker in each County Association area and adequate funding commensurate with the role of a County-wide trade union organisation.
It was agreed to support and forward to the TUC nationally but also to discuss support for trades councils at meetings of the Executive and Regional Council, and to convene a meeting between the NW TUC officers and officers of the County Associations.
27 CWU: the Future of the Post Office
This conference is alarmed by the proposal to close 2,500 post offices in the UK with 132 already named for closure in the NW with a further number yet to be announced in the Greater Manchester area. This will have a negative impact on the service provision in the North West, especially vulnerable and rural communities.
To address these concerns and ensure a sustainable future for the Post Office that includes a significant network of crown offices with a long-term future it is essential that the following improvements are made to government policy:
i) increased funding for the entire network including greater financial support from the Government to support all post offices whether they be in town, urban, suburban or rural locations;
ii) a commitment by the UK Government to support the Post Office financially beyond 2011;
iii) a commitment to limit closure based on a social evaluation of the impact on local communities;
iv) establishment of a more functional replacement for the Post Office Card Account based on the concept of a 'Universal People's Bank' to be operated by and through the Post Office;
v) extension of the consultation period and procedures dealing with post office closures to 12 weeks and expanding the role of regional/local authorities in strategic decision on the Post Office network;
vi) improved access criteria that ensure that 99 per cent of those living in an 'urban deprived area' are within 0.5 miles of a post office and that consideration be given to other major factors such as transport links, travel times and post office opening times; and
vii) a commitment by local, regional and national government fully to utilise the post office network to provide access to services, thus ensuring it is the shop front for government services.
It was agreed to support and work with the CWU to take up all the points in the motion.
Final Session
Rule Changes
Executive Group: Conference and Regional Council Delegations
Delete from Rule 3 ii) 'Unions with 200,000 members ........and unions with 20,000 to 49,999 members in the region shall have two representatives.'
And replace with: 'Unions with 20,000 or more members in the region shall be entitled to One delegate for the first 20,000 members plus an additional delegate for every additional 25,000 members or part thereof.'
Rule 6 ii) delete the first five rows of the table, and add at the end 'Unions with 20,000 or more members in the region shall be entitled to 5 delegates plus an additional delegate for every additional 15,000 members or part thereof.'
These rule changes were adopted with I abstention and no votes against.
Report on Ballots
Officers:
Chair: Steve Farley had been elected unopposed
Female Vice Chair: Lynne Morris was elected unopposed
Male Vice Chair: Laurence Faircloth received 66 votes, Alec McFadden 32 votes and there was one spoiled paper. Laurence Faircloth was elected
Treasurer: Andy Warnock Smith was elected unopposed.
Regional Council
Trade union Disability seat: Alan Martin elected unopposed
CATUC Disability seat: Joe Bailey received 7 vote, Dianne Harris 8 votes. Dianne Harris was elected.
Young members seats: No nominations received
Regional Council Specialist Unions seats: John Wild, Steve Stacey and Pauline McArdle were elected unopposed.
Adoption of Executive Report as amended by the motions carried.
Closure
The Regional Secretary reported that there had been 69 speeches from the floor, 43 were men and 26 were women.
Dave McCall in closing the Conference expressed his thanks to the delegates, officers and affiliates, he had greatly enjoyed his term of office and he wished his successor well.
The Conference then closed at 4.00 pm
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