As the Greater London delegates departed Bournemouth, many of us anticipated meeting again at 12.30 pm on 20 June 2010.  This will be at the Unite Against Fascism Demonstration against the English Defence League (EDL) starting from Stepney Green Park and finishing at Altab Ali Park in Whitechapel.

http://uaf.org.uk/2010/06/keep-the-racist-edl-out-of-east-london/

They shall not pass 1936-2010

• Emergency Composite Motion 2 (Defending our members, our public services and our trade union rights against the austerity agenda)
• Composite Motion A (Organising)
• Composite Motion F (Unite and Defend Our Public Services)
• Motion 35 (Learning and Organising – Empowering Members)
• Motion 75 (Build Resistance to the Economic Crisis)
• Motion 86 (Trade Union Rights)

During the course of these debates, delegates were implored to take part in protests following the “emergency” budget on 22 June 2010, and also to take part in the European Day of Action against cuts on 29 September 2010.

In addition the following motions were debated and carried today:

• Motion 87 (Minimum Wage)
• Motion 122 (Section 44 Stop and Search)
• Motion 123 (Elder Abuse)
• Motion 124 (Defending the Human Rights Act)

This motion was submitted by a local government branch and is based on the assumption that Branch Secretaries have facility time for their branch activities (if not regional or national activities).  Housing Associations Branch delegate Mary Powell sought to speak on this motion, explaining the difficulties faced by Branches with zero facility time for branch activities.  Our Branch officers carry out all of their non-statutory activities in their own time using evenings, weekends and annual leave.  This is due to our status as a multi-employer Branch with no one employer to negotiate the Branch’s facility time with.  However the debate was cut short and the vote taken before she could speak.  The motion was carried and had NEC support.

A speaker from Derry told of his father who had been on the Bloody Sunday march and was also interned by the British.  He told conference that he was himself still on that march, seeking a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.  Later Charlie Hore, of the Community and Voluntary Organisations Branch, spoke of the deep effect of the Bloody Sunday murders on himself and other people in Great Britain stating “we are on that march with you”.  An emotional debate ended with a unanimous vote in support of a Northern Ireland Bill of Rights.

http://ymlaen.org/

http://www.unisonbarnardos.org.uk/

http://www.unisonvob.co.uk/main.htm

http://www.quarriersunison.org.uk/

• For rule amendment 718,273
• Against rule amendment 373,801

However as rule changes require a 2/3 majority the amendment was defeated by about 10,000 votes. This was close in block vote terms and there had been a recount.  It goes to show that the demands for a card vote yesterday were justified.

Where a vote based on show of hands is close and 10% of delegates demand it, then a card vote is held.  Each delegation has a booklet of voting cards showing their branch’s membership.  These are cast in the form of a ballot and the branch membership totals are added up to create a block vote.  Branches may split their vote too.  To carry out the card vote a bell is rung and the hall is shut whilst the card vote takes place.  This afternoon three such votes were taken on contentious issues.

The real excitement came at the very end of the afternoon session with a debate on Rule Amendment 12 (Disciplinary Action).  This sought to limit to 24 months the period that a UNISON member can be suspended for from the union by the NEC.  Currently there is no limit.  Conference delegates spoke vigorously in favour of this proposal, and were opposed by the NEC.  The argument was put that if an offence is so serious e.g. racism, the member should be expelled anyway not suspended for longer or indeterminate periods.  Fears were expressed about misuse of these NEC powers against members from the political left.  The show of hands was inconclusive, but initially a card vote was refused by the chair (UNISON Vice President Angela Lynes).  That was until a huge noise, shouting and stamping, broke out in all corners of the hall.  Hundreds of conference delegates shouted “Card Vote, Card Vote” etc so that no further business could commence.  The card vote was taken (somewhat grudgingly) and we will hear the result tomorrow.

Other rule and schedule amendments which were debated:

Rule Amendment 4 (Becoming a Member) concerned the ability disbar members of political parties promoting racism, namely parties like the BNP.  Fears had been expressed that this change could also be used to disbar members of left wing political parties who come into conflict with UNISON leadership but assurances were given and this rule change was passed.

Rule Amendment 8 (Service Groups) concerned the creation of a combined service group for members working in further and higher education.  Strong arguments were put by delegates for and against and this one went to a card vote.  The NEC proposal to create a new service group was defeated.  Last year a decision on the creation of this Universities and Colleges Service Group had been deferred, at the time when our own Community Service Group was agreed to.

Rule Amendment 21 (Reserved Low Pay Seats) the definition of low pay for UNISON purposes was carried and is now defined at £8.75 per hour.

Rule Amendment 20 (Definitions) clarified the way in which pay is defined for the purpose of subscription bands, to include allowances and regular contractual overtime (not occasional voluntary overtime).  Following some heated debate this was carried.

Rule Amendment 10 (Branch Officers) this proposal concerned banning any one person from holding more than one of the posts of Branch Chair, Branch Secretary and Branch Treasurer.  This was proposed for purposes of preventing fraud and opening up participation.  Representatives of smaller branches in particular objected to this.  Following a card vote this rule amendment was rejected by conference, though our Branch delegates were instructed to vote in favour.

Rule Amendment 11 (Branches) was carried and requires branches to have Equalities Representatives in all workplaces or workgroups.  The difficulties for multi-employer branches such as ours were raised and it is a rule that many branches will have difficulty implementing.

Rule Amendment 1 (Rule A Introductory) was a proposal that the rule book should be printed in loose leaf form so that only specific sections need to be updated, saving paper and money.  This was supported by our Branch, but defeated by conference.

Rule Amendment 7 (National Executive Council) was a proposal to limit NEC members to three terms in the interests of encouraging new people to get involved.  This was supported by our branch delegates but the proposal was defeated.

A number of non-contentious rule and schedule amendments which were a “tidying up” of the rule book were easily carried.  These covered for example death benefits and accident benefits.

Billy Bragg proceeded to tell conference about the general election campaign in Barking and Dagenham and the defeat of the fascist BNP.  He also thanked UNISON activists for their efforts during the campaign in Barking and Dagenham and elsewhere in the country.  The effective disenfranchisement of so may voters by the current electoral system was covered and the effect during the election campaign of core Labour voters feeling they had been taken for granted.  He felt that there was nothing to fear from the BNP in the event of proportional representation.  Rather there would be genuine pluralism which would bring out the progressive voters who would then have a real choice of parties to vote for.

He went on to talk of accountability for those in economic power and ridiculed the oxymorons of “democratic capitalism” and “self-regulation”.  The latter has allowed banks to regulate themselves….. Trade unions have a key riole to play in protecting the interests of their members and members’ families, for example by fighting the marketisation of public services.  He concluded that political parties may change their colours but organised labour is constant.

the session ended with a moment of levity as the entire hall donned Robin Hood masks and sang along to “Robin Hood, Robin Hood Riding through the glen….”.  Very fetching UNISON’s president looked in his mask too……

Billy Bragg addresses conference

Branch delegate John Gray spoke to this motion drawing particular attention to the benefit the tax would have for occupational pensions.  By taxing transactions it would discourage short term speculation in favour of the longer term investments which pension schemes need.  This would in turn encourage a move away from the Casino Capitalism which has led to worldwide recession.  Unsurprisingly this motion was carried unanimously.

Motion 117 “Demand Change!” concerned decriminalisation of prostitution and the criminalisation of those paying for such services.  This is the so-called “Nordic model” and did generate speeches against the motion, on the basis that it might make commercial sex workers more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.  Speakers against the motion also advocated that unions should be organising these workers but those proposing the motion felt this approach would legitimise prostitution.  The motion was eventually carried.

Motions 113 and 15 concerned (respectively) violence against disabled people and domestic abuse.  In both cases speakers gave moving personal accounts of their experiences of these issues.  Both motions were carried unanimously.  The latter concerned workplace agreements on domestic abuse and acknowledged that union members may both experience domestic abuse or be the perpetrators.