UNITE Executive Council positions for Policy Conference 2012

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

www.iansunitesite.org.uk

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.

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