LTB855/10 Trade Union Congress 2010: CWU Delegation Report

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Letter to Branches




No 855/10
Ref: GS 13.0
Date: 12/10/10

(TO ALL BRANCHES)

TO: The Branch Secretary

Dear Colleague

Trade Union Congress 2010: CWU Delegation Report

The 2010 Trades Union Congress took place from 13th September – 16th September in Manchester.

All Unions were entitled to submit two motions for the Agenda. The CWU National Executive Council agreed the following motions which were admitted to the TUC Congress Agenda and subsequently became part of Composite 2 and Composite 27.

1 Trade Union Outreach
Conference recognises the importance of reaching out to diverse sections of the population to make the case for trade union membership. We acknowledge the importance of publicity and recruitment campaigns on issues that are important to the majority of trade unions, such as job losses, pensions and pay.

We also recognize that the majority of trade unionists are now women; that there will be disproportionate impact of the cuts on the disabled; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; black and minority ethnic communities; and young people.

That the TUC continues to play a progressive role and in particular its work on equality. Together with a campaign on these issues, a meeting should be sought with broadcasters who have a public service remit to seek greater recognition of the role that Trade Unions continue to play.

2 High Pay Commission
That this congress notes that the Coalition Government has asked Will Hutton of the Work Foundation, to investigate high pay in the public sector. The examination leaves out an investigation of high pay in the private sector.

Congress therefore agrees to set up a shadow “High Pay Commission” to investigate high pay across the whole of the economy, and in particular the difference between the highest pay and the lowest pay within the top FTSE 100 companies. It shall examine the history of high pay and current trends. The Commission will deliver its report with recommendations by no later than next TUC Congress 2011

The CWU also submitted amendments to two motions; Climate Change (Composite 7) and Defending Public Services (Composite 10). These amendments were partially incorporated following the compositing meetings held a few days prior to departing for Congress. Both composites were successfully carried.

Additionally, the Union submitted an Emergency Motion on Royal Mail (Emergency Motion 2). This was carried unanimously.

The complete TUC Congress Decisions for 2010 can be downloaded on the following link: http://www.tuc.org.uk/the_tuc/tuc-18475-f0.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A record of decisions agreed by the CWU delegation meeting is attached:

Any enquiries on this LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary’s Department quoting Reference GS 13.0

Yours sincerely



W Hayes
General Secretary

COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION

TRADES UNION CONGRESS – MANCHESTER 2010

TUC DELEGATION MEETING
HELD IN THE
DERBY SUITE, MIDLAND HOTEL, MANCHESTER
ON SUNDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2010 AT 10.30 A.M.


PRESENT: Davie Bowman (Chair), Billy Hayes (General Secretary), Tony Kearns (SDGS), Andy Kerr (DGS/T), Dave Ward (DGS/P) Amanda Collick, Debbie Cort, Pat Clouder, Allan Eldred,
Maria Exall (ex officio), Jackie Gatward,
Mick Kavanagh, Martin Keenan, Vera Kelsey,
Jim McKechnie, Lesley McLean, Les Marriott, Amarjite Singh, Julie Upton & Dave Wilshire

IN ATTENDANCE: Natalie Jacottet, Kevin Slocombe, Stephen Bell, Andrea Snowden, John Colbert, Chris Tapper, Dorothy Lovett & Janet Mather,

APOLOGIES: Bob McGuire (Transport difficulties)


TUC GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT
The President went through the chapters of the General Council Report asking delegates to raise any issues. Andy Kerr raised Chapter 3.20 Media, entertainment and the digital economy. He complained of its brevity. It was agreed that Andy would get up and make that point. All other Chapters were agreed.

POLICY
The delegation agreed the following:

MOTION / COMPOSITE POLICY
Section 1: Organising & rights at work
Composite 1 Support
Motion 6 Support
Motion 7 Support
Motion 8 Support

Section 2: Equal rights
Composite 2 (CWU motion + Equity & NUJ amendments) Support
Motion 10 Support
Motion 11 Support
Motion 12 Support
Motion 13 Support


Section 3: Economic & social affairs
Composite 3 Support
Motion 16 Support
Composite 4 Support
Motion 19 Support
Composite 5 Support
Motion 27 (CWU motion + UNITE amendment) Support
Motion 28 Support
Motion 29 Support
Composite 6 Support
Composite 7 (CWU amendment) Support
Composite 8 Support
Composite 9 Support
Motion 36 Support
Motion 37 Support
Composite 10 (CWU amendment) Support
Motion 44 Support
Motion 45 Support
Motion 46 Support
Motion 47 Support
Composite 11 Support
Motion 49 Support
Motion 50 Support
Motion 51 Support
Motion 52 Support
Composite 12 Support
Motion 55 Support
Motion 56 Support
Composite 13 Support
Composite 14 Support
Motion 60 Support
Motion 61 Support
Motion 62 Support
Composite 15 Support
Motion 65 Support
Motion 66 Support
Motion 67 Support

Section 4: Global solidarity
Motion 68 Support
Motion 69 Support
Motion 70 Support
Motion 71 Support

Section 5: Protecting people at work
Composite 16 Support
Composite 17 Support
Motion 77 Support
Motion 78 Support
Motion 79 Support

Section 6: TUC organisation
Motion 80 Support
Motion 81 Support

Emergency Motions:

Emergency Motion 1: Trapped Chilean Miners Support
Emergency Motion 2 Royal Mail Support

(In light of the Hooper Report published on Friday 10th September , the CWU submitted an Emergency Motion. The terms of the Emergency Motion was discussed and agreed with the DGS(P) and submitted to the TUC General Purposes Committee late Friday afternoon)

Emergency Motion 3 Industrial action against Cuts
On London Underground Support
Emergency Motion 4 Bangladeshi Garment Workers Support
Emergency Motion 5 Connaught Support
Emergency Motion 6 Redundancy Notices at
Birmingham City Council Support

General Council Statement on the Economy: Support

ELECTIONS
There is only one election and that is in Section C for unions with less than 100,000 members

The General Secretary and Senior Deputy General Secretary are elected by virtue of the fact that we have over 200,000 members. Maria Exall has been elected unopposed in Section I – Lesbian, Gay, bisexual and Transgender.

CWU SPEAKING COMMITMENTS
The delegation agreed the following speakers:
Amendment 43 (Composite 10)
Protecting Public Services
(Monday Morning) – Dave Ward
Composite 2 (Includes Motion 9)
Equal Rights
TU Outreach
(Tuesday Morning) – Tony Kearns
Motion 27
Economic & Industrial Affairs
High Pay Commission
(Wednesday morning) – Billy Hayes
Amendment 31 (Composite 7)
Climate Change
(Wednesday morning) – Tony Kearns
Emergency Motion on the Privatisation of Royal Mail
(Thursday am) - Dave Ward

Bob McGuire will speak on Composite 5
Dave Wilshire will speak on Motion 67
Maria Exall moving Motion 12 on behalf of TUC

QUESTIONS & ANSWER SESSIONS WITH GUEST SPEAKERS AT CONGRESS:

The GS advised that The Governor of the Bank of England would address Congress on Wednesday morning and will be taking questions following his speech. Unions are invited to consider whether a member of their delegation wished to put a question to Mervyn King. It was agreed that Debbie Cort would ask the following question:

“As a bank worker in Santander and a member of the CWU, who represent relatively low paid staff in the banking sector, I am concerned to see excessive bankers’ bonuses making a comeback.

The government is looking at high pay in the public sector and considering a pay ratio of 20:1.

What do you think is an appropriate ratio in the banking sector and would you support a high pay commission looking at pay ratios in the private sector? Moreover, given that bankers’ remuneration has rewarded risk taking and its role in the current financial crisis, is enough being done to rein in executive pay”



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