CWU decisions on Political Levy and Collins Review

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Letter to Branches




No. 809/14
Ref: GS14.24
Date: 12th December 2014


To: All Branches


Dear Colleagues

CWU decisions on Political Levy and Collins Review

Branches will recall the carriage of Emergency Motion 2, at CWU Annual Conference 2014. The text of that motion was as follows:


Conference notes that on 1st March 2014 the Special Conference of the Labour Party carried the Collins Report. The report in particular covered the basis of the link between the affiliated unions, of which, the CWU is one.

Conference notes that the Labour Party has introduced a requirement for levy paying members, to individually sign-up in order to contribute to the Labour Party.

Conference also notes in law, the CWU are required to ballot all of its members on the maintenance of a political fund by no later than October 2014.

It is crucial that a clear distinction is made between the need for a political fund for our wider political work and the union’s relationship with the Labour Party.

Conference agrees that following the political fund ballot result, the union should move quickly to ensure the necessary procedures are identified, that will mean each individual member of the CWU paying the political levy will have the opportunity prior to the 7th May 2015 General Election to sign-up and give their written consent to the arrangements as an affiliated supporter of the Labour Party.
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

The first part of the motion was completed when the membership recently voted to retain the political fund. The second part of the motion will be put into effect in the New Year. Conference was due to discuss a rule change in motion 62. The text of that motion was as follows:









Delete Rule 11.1.1 and replaced with:

Funds

The principal Funds of the Union shall be:

a) The General Fund;
b) The Defence Fund;
c) The National Welfare Fund;
d) Political Funds administered separately and consisting of
i. General Political Fund
ii. Affiliated Political Fund
e) Regional Funds;
f) Branch Funds;

There are separate Pension Funds held in trust on behalf of employees of the Union.
Eastern No. 3
Eastern Regional Committee

Because of time constraints the motion was not debated. The policy of the National Executive Council was to support. The change in the motion is to split the political fund between those authorising payments to Labour (‘Affiliated’), and those authorising only non-party payments (‘General’). This change is necessary to bring the union into line with the constitutional change adopted at Labour Party Spring Conference under the Collins Review.

Arrangements are being put into place to set up the two separate funds. It is anticipated that the new arrangement will be in place early in the New Year. Further information will be made available in another LTB.

Any enquiries on this LTB should be forwarded to the General Secretary’s Office at gsoffice@cwu.org quoting reference GS14.24/LTB 809/14.


Yours sincerely



W HAYES
General Secretary

[teesdale]

So does this mean if you don't opt in none of your union subs goes to the labour party. Sweet.