Sunday 27 May 2012

Support striking UNITE members at Stansted airport

A group of UNITE members at Stansted airport are taking strike action over the imposition by their employer, Swissport, of new rosters which mean working 14 more days for no more pay.




Thursday 24 May 2012

HP jobs massacre

This UNITE press release includes the reaction to the latest jobs cull threatened at HP.



UNITE Executive Council positions for Policy Conference 2012


Ian Allinson’s report on UNITE Special Executive Council meeting 24th May 2012

N.B. This is not an official Unite Report; it is based on my notes of the Executive Council (EC) meeting. I believe it to be a fair account of some of the key points and decisions taken (where I give my views about them I make this clear), and I will willingly correct any errors upon receipt of official notification from Unite.

Ian Allinson
UNITE EC member, IT & Communications

The special meeting had been called to consider the Executive Council position on motions and amendments to UNITE Policy Conference 2012.

Appointments

The EC approved a number of appointments recommended by panels:
  • Oliver Richardson, National Officer (Civil Air Transport)
  • Danny Freeman, Nicky Marcus and Sally Nailard, Regional Officers (London and Eastern)
  • John Lea, Education Officer (North West)
Policy Conference

The Executive Council agreed recommendations on motions and amendments to policy conference as follows:
Motion number
NOTE: numbering is based on a draft final agenda.  The preliminary agenda, not including amendments, is here.
Motion title
EC Recommendation
ECONOMY


1 plus 3 amendments
Democratic control of the banks and financial institutions
Support
Oppose third amendment
2
Failure by banking executives
Support
3, 4 plus amendments
Feral capitalism
Support
5
Campaign to amend the credit institutions (stabilisation) act 2010
Support
6,7,8
Robin Hood tax / financial transactions tax
Support
9 plus two amendments
Alternative Economic Strategy
Support (but note factual error)
10,11,12,13 plus amendments
Apprentices, practical skills training
Seek to composite removing aspects which are hostile to migrant workers.
If not, consider EC statement
14 plus amendments
Offshore skilling
Support
(amendments remove aspects hostile to migrant workers)
15
Renationalisation
Support
115 plus amendment
Public sector cuts
Support
ENVIRONMENT


16, 17, 18
Nuclear power
EC statement
19 plus amendment
Low carbon industrial strategy
Support
20, 21, 23, 24 plus amendment
Green jobs/energy, sustainable industry etc
Support
22
Integrated planning regulation
Support
25
Hydraulic fracturing / fracking
Support
EQUALITIES


26, 35 plus amendment
Diversity in the union, equality monitoring of appointments
Support
27, 28
BAEM members at the hear of the UNITE community section / BAEM workers voice needs to be heard now
Support
29 plus amendments
Disability hate crime
Support
30, 31, 32, 33 plus amendment
(I think this was meant to include 35 too)
Disability rights, leave reasonable adjustments, employment
Support
34
Adherence to article 19
Support
36
Getting involved
Support
37
LGBT education and zero tolerance to discrimination
Support
38, 39 plus amendment
Organising and young people / young workers – underpaid or unpaid
Ask to remove requirement for external qualification for young people and activists to participate in the schools programme during compositing.
40
Job equality
Support
41 plus amendment
Asylum seekers
Support
42 plus amendment
Gypsy and traveller law reform
Support
42a
Moroccan workers in Gibraltar
Support
GLOBAL SOLIDARITY, PEACE & DISARMAMENT


43
Palestinian child prisoners in Israeli detention
Support
44
Support for Gaza
Support
45, 46, 47 plus amendments
Middle East / Solidarity with Middle East North African  (MENA) workers network etc
Support
48 plus amendments
Solidarity with Venezuela – defending the majority, not punishing the poorest
Support
49
Cuba 2012 blockade motion
Support
50 plus amendment
Unite’s procurement of goods and services and purchase policies
Remit
51, 52
Justice for Columbia
Support
53
Workers in Turkey
Support
54
Workers Uniting and European & international federations
Support
55 plus amendments
No to trident
EC statement
HEALTH & SAFETY AT WORK


56
Unite commitment to health and safety
Seek to composite to remove some points, or ask to remit
57, 59, 60
Defending health and safety for members, health & safety, workplace health & safety
Support
58 plus amendment
Long hours culture
Support
MANUFACTURING


61, 63, 64, 65, 66 plus amendment
Re-balancing the UK economy – defend manufacturing / Bombardier / Industrial and manufacturing regeneration etc
Support
62
BAe Systems
Support
MEDIA


102
Morning Star
Support
103
Media
Support
PENSIONS


67, 68, 69, 78 plus amendments
Defending pensions / protection of members pensions / support the public sector and private sector occupational pensions / financial assistance scheme improvements
Support
70, 71, 72 plus amendments
Pensions policy / enhanced retirement provision / pensions
Support
NOTE: the amendment to motion 70 from the IT & Comms NISC had gone astray so was not considered by the EC.  The SOC will determine whether it is in order.
73, 75, 77 plus amendments
National Pensioners Convention – the dignity code / pensions campaign / senior citizens charter – pensions
Support
74, 76
Second tier state pension provision / state pensions
Support
POLITICAL


79, 80 and 81
Political Fund
EC statement
82
Constituency development plans
EC statement
83
Trade union links to the Labour Party
EC statement
84, 85 and amendments
TULO and Labour Party
EC statement
86 plus amendment
Labour leadership
EC statement
87
A strong voice for our union in the Labour Party
EC statement
88
Cuts and the Labour Party
EC statement
89
Trade union liaison officers (CLPs)
EC statement
90
Relations with the Labour Party
EC statement
91 and amendment
Referendum on Scottish independence
Support with amendment
92
Scottish parliament
Support
93
The possible separation of Scotland from the UK
Oppose
94, 95, 96, 97
The EU / referendum
Oppose
98
European Union
Support
99
CLASS action
Support
100
Unite code of conduct for employers
Ask the SOC to refer it to the CYW&NFP sector
101
National Shop Stewards Network
Remit or oppose
104
Votes at 16
Support
PUBLIC SERVICES AND SOCIAL POLICY


105, 106, 107, 108 plus amendment
Opposition to the health and social care bill / saving the NHS etc
Support
109, 110
Housing / Council housing
Support
111
Rent control to replace benefit caps
Support
112 plus amendments
Public services jobs & pay, the fightback
Support with amendments
113
Shared services / contracting out
Support
114
Campaign against the cuts
Support
116
Wealth tax
Support
117 plus amendment
Benefit cuts
Support
118
Campaign for the reform of National Insurance contributions
Remit
119
Private Finance Initiative (PFI)
Support
120
Yvonne Hossack campaigner against care home closures
Ask SOC to refer to West Midlands region
121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128 plus amendment
Trade union freedoms / law / rights etc
Support
129
Casual and agency labour
Support
130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136 plus amendments
Swedish derogation / agency labour etc
Support
137, 138, 139
Employment rights / equalities
Support
140, 141, 142, 143, 145
Facility time etc
Support
144
Active support for full time lay representatives within the public sector
Oppose
146
Trade union reform
Support
147
Home working
Support
148
The right to collective bargaining
Support
149 plus amendment
Works councils
Support motion
Ask branch to withdraw amendment
150, 151
Redundancy pay / closures and redundancies
Support
152
Employment law
Support
153, 153a plus amendments
Blacklisting
Support
153b
Information and consultation regulations – making the best of an opportunity
Support
154
Time off for lifelong learning courses
Support
155
Protection of self-employed workers 2012
Remit
156 plus amendments
Working time
Support
157
Protecting UK standards and qualifications
Support
UNION ADMINISTRATION AND MEMBERSHIP SERVICES


158, 159, 160
No more “golden goodbyes” / inappropriate severance payments
EC statement
161
Industrial representation and accountability
Support
162
Addressing the negative right wing media image of UNITE
Support
163
Outside agencies
Support
164, 184
Updating of contact details / membership
Support
165
Ownership of motions
Support
166
Membership overhaul
Remit
167, 169
Education
Oppose
168
Member education
Remit
170
Affinity partnerships
Remit
171
Gold badge award
Oppose
172
Dedicated local government officers
Remit
173
Standing orders committee advice on motions effects
Support
174
Administration
Support
175
Accountability of full time officers
Remit
176 and amendment
Servicing of members
Remit
177
Unite conference preparation training
Support
178
Future motions
Remit
179 and amendment
Ethical suppliers
Support
180 and amendment
Trades councils
Support
181, 182 and amendment
Improved use of IT / social networking sites
Support
183 and amendment
Lay democracy
Support
185
Conference administration
Support

The Standing Orders Committee (SOC) has not yet met to consider which motions and amendments are ruled out of order.

The EC statements will be agreed at the June meeting.  It is possible that in some cases the EC may review its position on motions covered by statements once it has considered the wording.

Executive Council report

The EC agreed, subject to minor changes proposed in the next few days, the EC report to be submitted to the policy conference.

Supplementary reports will be agreed at the June EC on the branch reorganisation and branch financing.

Other Policy Conference arrangements

Each region will have a delegation meeting on the Sunday.  Not every body that submitted a motion or amendment will be represented directly at conference, so a delegate must be identified who is responsible for each and who can move it or take any decisions on remittance to the EC.

The SOC will agree arrangements for fringe meetings at the conference.

A video of UNITE’s campaigning, including some of the General Secretary’s speeches, will be prepared for showing at various points during conference.

The EC will consider any motions remitted to it at the meeting following the policy conference.