Decisions of UNITE Policy Conference Monday 25 June 2012

The policy conference agenda and other key documents are on the UNITE web site here.

The policy decisions were:

• Motion 1 Democratic Control of the Banks and Financial Institutions: Carried with amendments 1 & 2.  Amendment 3 was lost.
• Motion 2 Failure by Banking Executives: Carried
• Motion 3 Feral Capitalism: Carried with amendment 1.  Amendment 2 fell.
• Composite 1 (motions 5, 6 an 7) Robin Hood Tax: Carried
• Motion 8 Alternative Economic Strategy: Carried with amendment
• Motion 15 Public Sector Cuts: Carried with amendment
• Motion 14 Re-Nationalisation: Carried
• Motion 4 Campaign to Amend Credit Institutions (Stabilisation) Act 2010: Carried
• Composite 2 (motions 9, 10+amendment, 11, 12+amendment): Carried
• Motion 13 Offshore Skilling: Carried
• Composite 9 (motions 56, 57, 69 & 60) Workplace Health & Safety: Carried
• Motion 58 Long Hours Culture: Carried with amendment
• Emergency Motion 1 Carcinogenic Diesel Engine Exhaust: Carried
• Executive Statement ES5 Transport: Carried
• Composite 10 (motions 61+amendment, 63, 64, 65 & 66) Manufacturing: Carried
• Motion 62 British Aerospace: Carried
• Motion 67 Morning Star: Carried
• Motion 68 Media: Carried

The text of the EC statements and Emergency motions isn't yet on the union web site, but hopefully will be soon.

Update: I've posted the EC statements here.

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UNITE constitutional timetable 2012-15 electoral period

I've posted before about the crucial workplace and branch elections currently taking place across UNITE.  I'm concerned that patchy communication about these is likely to mean we end up with fewer activists than we should, weakening the crucial base of the union.

At this week's Area Activists Committee meeting I got hold of a document sent out to officers in my region, setting out the timetable beyond the current elections.  I've summarised it below.

By June 2012:
Election of branch officers and workplace reps.  Branch officers include Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Equalities Officer.  Workplace reps include Shop Steward (also known as workplace rep, FoC, MoC etc), Health & Safety reps, Equality Reps, Learning Reps and Environmental Reps.

The newly elected reps and branch officers take office from 1 July 2012.  The default term of office is three years, but can be shorter where appropriate.

September 2012:
Each region should convene:

• Regional Industrial Sector Conferences
• Regional Women's Conference
• A Regional Black Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAEM) Conference
• Regional Disabled Members' Conference
• Regional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Conference
• Regional Triennial Area Activists Meetings
• Regional Youth Conference
• Regional Retired Members' Conference

The Conferences and Meetings elect the new Regional Industrial Sector Committees (RISCs), Area Activist Committees (AACs) and Regional Equalities Committees.  The new committees hold office for three years from September 2012, and normally meet immediately after the conference that elected them.  These initial committee meetings elect chair and vice-chair, delegates and observers (as appropriate to that body) to the Regional Committee, National Industrial Sector Committee (NISC), National Equalities Committee, National Youth Committee or National Retired Members' Committee.

Committees meet quarterly in September, December, March and June.  The June 2015 meetings would be the last for the committees elected in 2012.

October 2012:
The first meetings will be held of the new:

• Regional Committees
• NISCs
• National Equalities Committees
• National Youth Committee
• National Retired Members' Committee

These bodies hold office for three years from October 2012.  They should meet quarterly in October/January/April/July.  The July 2015 meetings would be the last for the committees elected in 2012.

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Manchester Area Activists Committee

I attended the Manchester Area Activists Committee (AAC) meeting today - here are some of the key points:

1. There is an urgent need for training (and possibly a handbook) for branch officers to be in place for when the new term of office starts on 1 July.  A remit had been sent to the region some time ago.  Delegates felt branch administration processes should be consistent nationally so training would be best dealt with nationally.  I was asked to bring this up at the EC meeting next week.
2. The decision of the last North-West Regional Committee to write to all reps to advise of the need for workplace elections has still not yet been implemented, though an email had gone out yesterday to officers in the region.
3. The AAC decided to organise an open meeting in late July for branch officers about how to perform their roles in the new UNITE set-up.
4. The AAC agreed that the date of the next open Area Activists Meeting would be brought forward to 7pm on 17th July at the UNITE Salford office.
5. The AAC agreed to to write to all the "community members" in Greater Manchester to explain that the meeting on 17th July will discuss setting up a community branch in Greater Manchester and to invite those who are interested in helping run it to come along.
6. There was a discussion about the TUC's national demonstration on 20 October in London and it was agreed to "initiate an open organising meeting in the next few weeks to build the maximum turnout for 20 October from Greater Manchester and to approach other unions, trades councils and campaign groups to take part".
7. The Manchester Area Activists Conference (which will elect the committee for the next three year term) is open to all UNITE's "accountable representatives of workers" in the area and will take place at 6pm on 27th September at the Salford office.  The new committee will have its first meeting immediately after that.
8. It was agreed to support and publicise the Unite Against Fascism demonstration against the EDL and BNP in Rochdale on Saturday.
9. There were reports about ongoing industrial issues at Thomas Cook and in construction.

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