GPTU minutes of 5.10.19, update 07/09/2019, MINUTES 16th May 2019

Draft MINUTES GREEN PARTY TRADE UNION GROUP AGM 5/10/2019 at Green Party Conference, Newport

1) Introduction to GPTU by P.Murry, (summarised in London Trade Union Liaison Officer report below).

2) Election of Committee 2019/20

Co-chairs: Noel Lynch and Adam Clarke

Secretary: Peter Murry

Treasurer: Sue Tibbles

Membership Secretary: Noel Lynch

Equalities Officer: Beccy Sawbridge

Media Officer: Martin Francis

Committee Member: Paul Valentine

3) Tolpuddle: PM reported that Derek Hardman had successfully campaigned to get the Green Party to finance its stall at the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ festival, rely on an individual member to do so. Thanks also to the work of Paul Valentine who worked for this in his role as Trade Union Liaison Officer on the Green Party Executive.

4) BEIS strike: This was a strike of   cleaners and catering staff at BEIS supported by PCS, who have been on indefinite strike action since the 15 July. “We have also called out receptionists, porters, post room and security workers and from w/c 30 September they will be on rolling one week on strike one week off. They are fighting for a Living Wage and proper terms and conditions. 

These are the biggest strikes Whitehall has ever seen and the whole support staff team has been out.” Beccy Sawbridge reported on solidarity contributions from SE Kent TUC. The strikers had asked to visit the Green Party Conference but had been directed to the GPTU meeting rather than a plenary, however they decided not to visit because they were about to get a settlement. (“We also salute the win by catering workers, working for Aramark at BEIS who have finally won the London Living Wage after two months of indefinite strike action. The union is still fighting for it to be awarded to their members in ISS at the same government department. http://shopstewards.net/2019/10/nssn-455-victories-at-harland-wolff-hull-and-beis-show-that-workers-action-can-win/?fbclid=IwAR1CqkeRHoDCpU3p7U0xW6h2qKzs6MMrPNQ57xoY2xS0bFel0kqWA1syCng)

5) Ruskin College: Sue Tibbles that this college, originally founded by and for Trade Unions, had been in disputes involving UCU which had led to the vicitimisation of a lecturer, Lee Humber, and solidarity resignations and recently attempts had been made to place responsibility for the death of a student on security staff. ( see: https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/10200/Ruskin-College-under-fire-for-trade-union-victimisation and

https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/10215/Union-leaders-call-for-Ruskin-College-to-withdraw-threats-of-staff-dismissal-and-drop-charges-against-UCU-reps).

Sue Tibbles to write to Unison and Oxford TUC.

6) 20.9.19 Global Climate Strike: Over 7 m worldwide reported to have participated. In UK, the TUC passed a motion call for solidarity but stopped short of calling for strikes or even stoppages. Several Union branches were able to take solidarity actions usually with the agreement of employers. Caroline Lucas, & Jeremy Corbyn (among others) spoke at the London demo. It was felt that Caroline could have voiced criticism of the Anti-Union laws which prevent TU’s from legally taking solidarity actions. Peter Murry to write to Caroline Lucas.

7) NEU H&S reps

8) Two Green Party councillors had recently been elected in Ashford. It was noted that advice for Green Party councillors on liaison with their local TUCs was needed.

9) Date of next meeting: PM to circulate a doodle poll for an early December date, Zoom or Skype to be used to increase participation.

APPENDIX

Trade union liaison officer (Pete Murry)

I have been building links with the trade union movement and have worked with the Green Party Trade Union Group (GPTU). I am Co-Secretary of GPTU and have attended its meetings. I have regularly attended London Green Party meetings and submitted written reports on trade union matters I have supplemented these with verbal contributions when appropriate.

I blog at http://greentulondon.blogspot.co.uk/ carrying reports of disputes, trade union news, solidarity actions and demos etc, I attend meetings of the Campaign Against Climate Change TU group, the Greener Jobs Alliance, the Lucas Plan Just Transition working group. I have recently become a member of the newly established TUC, (Trade Union Congress), London, East and South East Region Environmental Sustainability and Just Transition Network.

I am an active member of the University and College Union (UCU) London Retired Members’ Branch. I have drafted motions on climate change for the UCU annual conference, most recently attempting to challenge the attempt by some unions to restrict union discussion of Just Transition only to their memberships.

I have also been active in encouraging TU support for the recent school/students’ strikes to call for effective action on climate change.

GPTU Update 07/09/2019

It seems unlikely to be able organise a GPTU meeting before Conference (Autumn Conference 2019 - 4-6 October, in Newport at International Convention Centre, Wales ).

GPTU  CONFERENCE MEETING

A GPTU  Conference meeting is booked for 13.30-14.45 on Saturday 5 October, this will be the AGM. Nominations/expressions of interest are invited for the following committee posts:

Chair

Secretary

Treasurer

Membership Secretary

Media Officer

Equalities Officer

Nominees must be members of the Green Party of England and Wales. All posts may be job shares. It is not necessary to attend the AGM to put forward a nomination which should be sent to Peter Murry (GPTU Secretary) at yrrumuk@googlemail.com.

We hope there will be time to discuss the future of GPTU at the AGM.

TUC congress

There will be several fringe meetings on Climate Change at the TUC congress at The Brighton Centre, 8 - 11 September. The Campaign against Climate Change Trade Union Group fringe will concentrate on building support for the Climate strike 20 September (details at https://www.cacctu.org.uk/climate_strike_20_september), this is also the focus of a UCU (University and College Union) motion to congress. The Greener Jobs Alliance which has just produced an excellent “Trade Union Guide to Just Transition” available FREE at http://www.greenerjobsalliance.co.uk/courses/

Is also running a fringe about this and wider issues around just transition. Full details of the congress can be found at https://www.tuc.org.uk/congress2019 .

Disputes etc

There are currently Major disputes around redundancies at Tata steel works in Newport where GPEW conference is taking place ( see “Tata Steel to close Newport factory, putting 400 jobs at risk : https://www.theguardian.com  @ByRobDavies Mon 2 Sep 2019) and at The Harland and Wolf shipyard where like the Lucas aerospace workers in the 1970’s , workers want to put their skills to better use (see https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/harland-and-wolff-belfast-occupation-nationalisation-labour-john-mcdonnell-a9071536.html

Even as heavy industry is being battered to bits outsourced workers in service industries are being squeezed down to poverty wages like the striking Medirest staff at Northwick Park Hospital. To whom gptu has sent a message of support (https://greentulondon.blogspot.com/2019/09/hospitals-and-nhs-depend-on-porters.html)

Minutes of 16th May 2019 Zoom meeting

1.   Apologies: , Paul Valentine, Beccy Sawbridge, Martin Childs, Noel Lynch

Present: Sue Tibbles  Martin Francis, Peter Murry

2.   Minutes of Previous Meeting 21 st February 2019

Matters Arising

a)    Martin Francis to investigate GPTU mission statement for social media sites. (Martin thought current statement on GPTU webpage ok)

b)    Martin Francis to contact Conferences Committee re adequate space for stalls at conference and encouraging more TU stalls. (Contacted Louisa Greenbaum but no response)

c)    Use of Glyphosate weedkillers, cancer death reported (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45155788). (See recent US award of damages for Roundup cancer)

4.   a) Membership, 

·       around 200 members. Any members wishing to join GPTU email list, contact Noel Lynch as Paul Valentine currently on tour so might not have time to do this. Noel Lynch to update on numbers.

·       There are still two membership lists

5)    Finances: £1358.04 less a further £25 to Beccy Sawbridge for travelling, paid by Peter Murry. £ 17.04 mistakenly paid from the account should be repaid. (Sue has repaid Pete. Previous error paid back-(refreshments for Trades Council event )no change

6)  Regional Organising:

·       Beccy Sawbridge contacted Roy Sandison to ascertain where there were TULO’s and to increase them if possible….. No reply

·       Beccy Sawbridge to contact GPHQ to get list of party contacts. May be able to start with Kent and London (

·         Beccy congratulated on her election to Dover Town council and Dave Plummer on election to Waltham Forest Council )

7)   General Updates, Solidarity and Outreach Work

a)    Oxford City Council Climate Emergency passed after Labour watering down amendment. Council considering setting up citizens’ assembly

b) UPDATES FROM UCU May 2019

 No sexual harassment week: 10 - 15 June 2019
Further information on a week of focusing on challenging sexual harassment in the workplace, which will take place from 10 to 15 June.
UCU956.html | UCU956.rtf [97kb]

FE fights back: latest wave of action
Further education (FE) members in London took strike action at Lambeth College, New City College, Poplar & Arbour Square this week, and industrial action ballots opened at New City College, Hackney and Croydon College as part of our fight for fair pay. Photos and messages in solidarity with striking members can be viewed at our online wall of support here. Branches and activists are asked to keep tagging their Facebook and Twitter posts with the hashtags #FEFightsBack and #FEpay.

 

c) CACC Trade Union solidarity day with Student Climate Strikes, Friday 24 May, 11 am, Parliament Square.

8.   Trade Union And Workers’ Rights Committee (update on where the Transition Team are up to and a report on the current thinking of Green Left.):

Pete Murry proposing an amendment on this. Members advised to email SOC to support PM’s amendment before 16/05/19 midnight deadline.

9.   GP conference:

As there is a clash with the Green New Deal Panel, look into possible change of GPTU meeting Sunday 9.30 am to 10.30 am or use special interest group vacancy Sunday 18:15-19:30.

Martin Francis to manage text service at Conference.

8.   Updates from Officers:

a)   GPEX: PV has secured an assurance that Brian Heatley will be reimbursed for his expenses for running the Tolpuddle Festival stall. Other helpers always welcome.

b)   London Fed: Meeting on 20 May cancelled because of doing work around European elections.

   9 AOB:

Levellers Day: Sue gave a summary of this year’s event. See Facebook Levellers’ Day.

Oxford Levellers’ Day event,

Trade Union Clean Air Network (TUCAN) meeting 20 June UCU HQ, Carlow Street, Camden, NW1 7LH.

PM emailed info to the lists. Anyone interested in attending to contact UCU Secretary, Janet,

janet@gmhazards.org.uk

Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) latest newsletter. PM circulated to the list.

LESE Environmental Sustainability and Just transition Network:

Sue to check details.   Encourage GPTU members to put names forward.

   10. Date of next meeting:6^th June Zoom discussion if necessary pre Conference on last minute items.