An NEC
member asked the question under the Finance report was their adequate budget
provision for the election of General Secretary in 2015 and he was assured
there was.
We heard
from the General Secretary that there had been an 87% vote amongst UNISON
members to keep the political fund (imposed on us by Thatcher’s anti-trade
union legislation that has survived since the 1980’s) after the recent ballot.
Police and Justice service group UNISON members had voted 60% YES to Industrial
Action in their pay dispute. Best Wishes were sent to police staff in their
dispute. It was emphasised there would
continue to be real difficulties for Public services if the coalition got back
in in May.
This may
include the ending of ‘check off’ (union subs being automatically deducted from
pay). This was already being done in the civil service. Whichever political
party anyone was in the fight was to get the Tories out.
The
union would be supporting a project to help tackle Ebola in West Africa. The NEC agreed to donate £50,000 from the union's
international development fund for each of the next two years and agreed to ask
branches if they want to contribute. The NEC was shown a moving video
commemorating and naming the 325 health workers in the four countries affected
who have died in responding to Ebola.
I asked
the General Secretary, Dave Prentis was there any update on the campaign
against TTIP the ‘Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership’ the proposed
EU – US Trade deal.
If TTIP
went ahead there would be a major effect on the provision of public services
and services may not be able to be brought in if privatised even if political
parties could be persuaded to renationalise. There would be kangaroo courts
involving commercial lawyers from multinational companies. The French based multinational company Veolia, are suing
the Egyptian government for increasing the national minimum wage – claiming
this will “hurt” its investment. There was a growing and massive wave of
opposition to these Trade talks. We needed to start questioning MPs and put
pressure on them so the Trade talks moved to the top of the agenda. Branches
were encouraged to get involved in local coalitions against TTIP.
General election planning – this would be the most critical
election any of us had fought. There was a line of attacks from the Tories
already in place. However the election outcome was probably also the most
unpredictable for a long time with political engagement in the country the
lowest in the last century. Clear guidance was requested of the centre in terms
of what branches could and couldn’t do given the provisions of the lobbying
act. The emphasis should be on encouraging branches to engage in political
campaigning through the Affiliated Political Fund and General Political Fund. We
would concentrate on 60 seats where the number of UNISON members exceeds the
majority of the incumbent. It was also emphasised rightly that talking to
members about the key issues is free.
Recruitment and Organising campaign – This was the second best
year for recruitment figures since the union came into being although the
overall picture is still difficult due to government austerity.
On the Legal
update it was reported by the Legal officer that there had been a shocking drop
of 91% in sex discrimination claims as a result of the coalition’s employment
tribunal fees and the requirement to charge these fees up front. Women and low
paid workers have been the worst affected.
Finally
a message of support was sent to Barnet UNISON, in dispute over the North
London councils’s attack on terms and conditions. 
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