Wolverhampton TUC 2022-23 report

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council

assisting local unions since 1865

Secretary’s 2022 Report of Work, Plan of Action for 2023 & President's Report

Formed in 1865, Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council is a forum for local trade unionists to discuss issues of joint concern to the local labour movement. We assist branches with their campaigns and support their strikes. We also organise events and campaigns which bring the message of trade unionism to the wider public. Our meetings on the third Thursday of the month when we also hear speakers are open to visitors. Ours and other local labour movement events are posted on https://wolvestuc.org.uk/

20 local branches affiliated in 2022, covering 16,248 trade union members, an increase on the previous year:

ASLEF, Community, CWU, FBU, GMB X13, Musicians’ Union, NEU, PCS (Black Country), RMT, UCU University, UCU College, UNISON City of Wolverhampton, UNISON Wolverhampton University, UNISON Sandwell, UNISON Staffordshire, UNITE WM6150 W’ton General, UNITE WM5115 Community, UNITE WM5203 Retired, UNITE WM7132(Buses), UNITE LE372

Branches elected 38 branch delegates. Our zoom delegate meetings averaged 19 attendees, one third being women.

Please ask your branch to affiliate and to elect delegates this year, promote our meetings to other trades unionists, who are welcome as visitors. If you've been a delegate this year then please consider helping out on the Executive Committee which meets the week before the delegate meeting to plan events.

We had speakers this year from:

CWU, UCU University, ASLEF, RMT, UNITE trams, Sandwell Leisure Trust and Coventry HGV strikers, plus Palestine, Iran, modern slavery, links to historical slavery, Orgreave Truth & Justice campaign, Fire and Rehire campaign.

Railways

"It’s outrageous that the interests of workers, passengers and the taxpaying public are all sacrificed to the greed of a handful of private transport companies who are being guaranteed profits when they can’t run a railway even when we’re not on strike.” secretary Mick Lynch

The privatised rail industry is in a shocking state; profiteering, management incompetence, lack of recruitment and lack of investment has resulted in mass cancellations to train services on non-strike days over the last year. Yet senior managers take home huge salaries, including £500/shift bonuses for scabbing; 8 of the 10 highest earning public sector individuals are rail bosses.

The rolling stock companies (who own the trains and lease them back out) made £3 billion from the industry in 2020-21.

The Tories are prolonging these disputes. It is the government that is in complete control of the dispute and can put an end to passengers’ misery by unlocking the negotiations. While rail workers have had their pay frozen in the same period, Department for Transport (DfT) data shows that the private train operators made £310 million in taxpayer-funded profits from the start of lockdown and September 2022. By September this year, that figure will be in excess of £400 million, all of which can be turned into shareholder dividends. This is in addition to the £318 million of taxpayers’ money spent indemnifying the companies so that they don’t lose a penny as a result of strike action.

The claim that there's no money left to pay rail workers properly is just not true. Had it been reinvested back into the rail industry, £310 million would have been enough to fund a 10.6% pay rise for the Train operating companies’ staff.

So far, the Rail Delivery Group has only offered 4% in the first year and 4% in the second with a whole host of unacceptable changes to working conditions including the widespread introduction of Driver Only Operation on all train services, which risks train safety and discriminates against disabled passengers.

ASLEF delegates Nigel Harkness & Si Goode with RMT Gen Sec Mick Lynch

Things are different in Wales, which is run by a Labour governmentafter intense negotiations and no strike action, RMT members won between a 6.6% and 9.5% pay rise in December 2022, on the Welsh government owned operator. RMT has similar deals with the devolved Scottish government. Three incompetent Secretaries of State for Transport in a month for England. The Tory government is behind many of the lies put out in the media to try and weaken the superb public support that rail strikers have enjoyed this year, despite the enormous disruption caused to commuters RMT general secretary Mick Lynch runs rings around journalists who think their purpose is to back the Tories. His responses routinely go viral on social media. The public understands the truth is that trade unions represent millions of hardworking people who are simply asking for a pay award that reflects the rise in the cost of living.

ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) the train drivers' union represents 96% of all drivers. https://aslef.org.uk/campaign/fair-pay-stand-train-drivers They negotiated with several of the train operating companies and managed to agree pay deals, but 15 companies remain in dispute. Most 2019. When inflation goes up and pay doesn't, that' strike action began in July and has continued into TUC.

ASLEF general secretary Mick Whelan speaking on the Wolverhampton picket line.

RMT (Rail, Marine and Transport) union

for

rail-workers

https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/ They began strike action in August in their dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. They suspended their action in November, went into intensive talks, and were promised an offer that may or may not have met the aspirations of their members. They were prepared to put it to members, to find out, but someone in government put in untenable strings that had not been discussed by the union and the DfT. That scuppered the deal and ensured there was no choice but for the strike action to continue throughout the rest of the year and into 2023, with support from WB&DTUC.

Minor unions in the rail industry, TSSA and UNITE settled for their members late in 2022.

CWU, Communication Workers' union representing 115,000 postal workers in Royal Mail, Parcelforce and Fleet have sought a pay rise since February 2022.

Eighteen days of national strike action began in the summer and still continues. It is their first national strike since 2009 and the first national strike over pay since 1971.Again supported by Wolverhampton TUC delegates.

Royal Mail made £750m profit, £450m to shareholders and millions to bosses, yet employers and government refuse to settle the dispute, after A2% rise was imposed on postal workers, a massive real-terms pay cut yet senior managers and board members have received significant pay rises, bonus payments and been given extra shares.

Threats of widespread changes over introducing Uber-style owner-drivers, mail centre closures and changes to Sunday working has prompted widespread outrage from workers. Support in Wolverhampton has been tremendous with all-day pickets being maintained with big picket turnouts. #standbyyourpost

Over 40,000 CWU members working for BT and Openreach, triggered by BT’s unilateral imposition of real-terms pay cuts for all CWU-represented grades strikes in July, August and October, first national dispute for 35 years

Wolverhampton University and College Union, UCU held a rally in September with WB&DTUC assistance in their redundancies and the axing of 138 courses including all of the university's Arts departments.

The UK university sector generated a record income of £41billion last year with average vice chancellor salaries over £310,000/year. UCU said the sector can more than afford to meet staff demands.

Three days strike action was held in November for a pay rise to deal with the cost-of-living crisis and action to end the use of insecure contracts. Employers imposed a pay rise worth just 3% this year following over a decade of below inflation pay awards. A third of academic staff are on some form of temporary contract. WB&DTUC helped organise a joint rally, despite a torrential downpour, for UCU and CWU who were also on strike.

RMT out-sourced cleaners who work at Oxley depot, have now taken 14 days of strike action over the last year. Keyworkers, working nights for under £10/hour without sick pay. More than 1 in 10 cleaners on the transport network are using food banks.

Of the 1,000 contracted out cleaners, working locally for Atalian Servest and nationally for the likes of Churchill and Mitie, over a quarter have skipped meals. 1 in 3 are relying on credit cards to pay for cost of living and 84% are struggling to make ends meet, according to the RMT's survey of their members.

They are demanding £15 an hour, company sick pay, decent holidays and good pensions from contractors – some of whom are raking in profits of over £100 million a year. https://www.rmt.org.uk/campaigns/rail/justice-for-cleaners/

RMT train managers on Avanti West Coast, which operates here took separate strike action in October and November in a row over the imposition of rosters expecting them to work a 53hr week.

18 days in October and November of their threatened 53 days of strikes was enough for the 176 UNITE members at West Midlands Metro to be victorious.

Unite members accepted a pay offer worth up to 20 per cent for tram drivers, with all grades receiving significant increases. They had been some of the lowest paid tram workers in the country with wages as low as £10-50/hr.

https://wolvestuc.org.uk/53-days-of-tram-strikes/

The dispute which began in January 22 ended with a pay rise for the drivers worth up to 12.9%, £3,600 per year in their pay packets.

The deal also included Christmas bonuses worth some £4,000, and disciplinary charges against Unite Shop Steward Pete Randle dropped.

After a 20 month long dispute by Sandwell UNISON at Sandwell Leisure Trust against being fired and rehired to remove staff from national NJC pay; in May 2022 Sandwell Leisure Trust announced that they would be returning

73 Coventry UNITE HGV drivers from street sweeping, highways, household and commercial waste WON their six month all out strike.

staff to national NJC pay.

Wolverhampton Friends of Gypsy, Roma and Travellers along with Wolverhampton TUC leafleted the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton where comedian Jimmy Carr performed, April 2022. He'd made a horrific remark about mass murder of the Roma people in the holocaust, in his pay-per-view show. He was urged not to direct his voice against a vulnerable community subject to racism and who suffered the full horror of the holocaust.

Wolverhampton Workers’ Memorial Day

After two years of online events, the 31st annual event took place as usual with a large attendance.

Over 15,000 people of working age died in the pandemic. Many of those were key workers in high-risk workplaces in sectors such as health, social care, transport, food processing and textiles.

BME workers were particularly hard hit, with BME men 57% more likely to be working in jobs with a higher mortality rate, and BME women 48% more likely.

The research which we commissioned was published, with 37 people attending it's launch. We are planning further research using a £5,000 donation from UNITE WM6150.

Public activity returned after the worst of the pandemic. In addition to all the strike days that delegates joined, they were also on their travels.

Wolverhampton TUC delegates took part in Telford anti-fascist demo, Chesterfield May Day. Coventry strike rally, Cradley Women Chainmakers' festival, Durham Miners' Gala, Orgreave Truth & Justice demo and the demo at the Tory conference in Birmingham.

There was coverage of us in the Express & Star, Morning Star and both BBC and ITV news this year.

TUCTradeUnionStudies 2023 -signupnow .....startingJanuary,AprilandSeptember https://www.tuc.org.uk/TUCcourses#midlands UnionRepsStage1tenweeks 9am–4pmonMondays Health&SafetyStage1tenweeks 9am–4pmonTuesdays +othercourses

John Grant receiving his TUC long service award from Tony Benn in 2010 and demonstrating against fascism, last January.

He is retiring as Treasurer of our TUC after 40 years voluntary service to Wolverhampton, Bilston and District Trades Union Council.

Thanks

John Grant UCU Clare Simm PCS, Bob Simm UNISON, Marie Taylor UNITE and Di Weaver UNITE. Fraternally, Nick Kelleher (UNITE), Secretary WB&DTUC

to our outgoing Executive Officers:

WB&DTUC President's Report

The working class are in crisis. For years now my annual reports have detailed the very difficult situations faced by working people. Now working people face very real crisis.

I use this phrase carefully and deliberately because, if you listen to the media and the Government, they talk about The NHS in Crisis. Indeed, there has been recently, and is currently, serious problems with getting GP appointments and ambulances are queuing to get patients needing accident and emergency care into hospital. Planned medical interventions are being delayed. Working people’s health is suffering and the stress and impact on staff is heartbreaking.

It is claimed that the issues of social care for elderly and infirm who are blocking beds are at the root of the problem. I draw attention to the number of Local authority residential care homes that have been closed. Yes, some required investment and improvement, but most were providing positive care for those in need. The gap has been filled by private residential homes employing staff on minimum wage rates, exploiting those in the profession who have a genuine vocation for this demanding work. If it were legal to pay them less they would do so. These businesses taking often significant profit from working people and public monies. The privatised system is clearly not working. There is a shortage of staff because of a lack of training and too few people prepared to do this hard labour for minimum wage. Many elderly have a very real fear of being put into these residential care homes viewed akin to the ‘workhouse’. They are preferring to struggle on in their own homes with minimal care packages again provided by staff on minimum wage and struggling to cope. It is a failed system.

I strongly suggest the NHS is not in crisis, but the deliberate lack of resources and shortage of staffing has created these intolerable pressures. I feel that Marketisation and Privatisation are to blame and the NHS in crisis rhetoric about further privatisation. The really galling aspect, is that the marketisation policy was first introduced under a Labour Government by Blair.

There is a wages crisis for working people. People who work full-time are finding it impossible to pay their bills and feed their family. The Trussell Fund has highlighted working people who are forced to rely on foodbanks to supplement their income, including public sector workers. The labour movement has responded with Enough is Enough campaigns and for the first time significantly since the seventies, working people have taken strike action to demand a fair wage. Wage offers of 4% have been democratically rejected in Independently conducted strike Ballots. Understandable when RPI is currently 14 %. Areal terms wage cut on top of declining wage levels for ten years. Unsustainable.

UCU, RMT, Train drivers and cleaners have both taken on-going action, along with ASLEF, also CWU postal staff and lately Nursing andAmbulance staff. Education staff are balloting for action currently and Local Government pay negotiations are also about to start. Despite the disruption caused - earnestly highlighted on the media, ‘The Public’seem resolute in support and understanding the need for strike action. Seemingly because everyone is facing high energy bills and struggling to make ends meet. Living standards in Britain are falling.

According to the House of Commons Library, there were 1,400 Trussell Trust Food banks and an additional 1,172 independent food banks in Britain in 2022. Rising prices mean an increase in the number of people in absolute poverty and material deprivation and in Sept 2022, The Resolution Foundation estimated that absolute poverty will increase by over 3million between 2021 and 2022/23. I.9 million children and young pupils were known to be eligible for Free school meals in 2022. An increase in the proportion of eligible pupils from 15.4% in Jan 2019, to 22.5% in Sept 22.

2022 saw a revolving door at Number Ten with the resignation of a discredited Boris Johnson following reports of drunken parties and lack of social distancing. Stories of booze being bought in by the suitcase and sick up the walls of number ten was too much even for the Tories to cope with and he had to go finally just before the summer. There was a long leadership campaign over the summer recess resulting in the disastrous election of Liz Truss. She became the Prime Minister (without facing the electorate) and lasted in the post for 44 days. Her economic policies disastrously resulted in serious downturn of the British economy. Though the majority of her prime ministerial reign was focussed on leading the country in mourning for Queen Elizabeth 2, the few remaining days when she was actually prime minister cost the country Billions impacting on working people’s standard of living as the Market had no confidence in her economic policy which she tried to implement without following the usual Parliamentary protocols and procedures. She took office on September 6th and introduced a mini budget after the funeral on September 23rd. By September 26th the pound had sunk to an all-time low. She eventually resigned on October 20th , barely six weeks after taking office.

Her short reign resulted in a second shorter leadership contest and the election of Rishi Sunak. The third Prime Minister of 2022, who also did not face the electorate. He has ‘Steadied the economic ship’but introduced more austerity for working people and resolutely refuses to allow wage increases, arguing this will feed inflation. He continues to implement policies that protect the wealthy in our nation who salt away Billions through ‘nom dom’status and offshore accounts. Money that could stimulate Growth in the economy were it to be used by working people to buy food and goods and pay bills, instead of sitting in bank accounts.

What has been the Sunak Governments response? To introduce The Strikes (minimum service levels) Bill 2022/23. This bill is designed to reduce the effectiveness of workers taking action and The TUC will introduce the ‘Protect the right to strike’campaign from Jan with a day of action on Feb 1st 2023. Union leaders have come out against the oppressive legislation, with RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch calling it, “an outrageous attack on our civil liberties and on democracy in our country.” He went on to say “This is – or should be – a free country. In which it is possible – and legal – to withdraw your labour. Which is, after all, a fundamental human right. Only in slave societies do they force men and women to work.” Already the UK has the most draconian legislation in Europe introduced under Thatcher, making it difficult for Unions to reach the threshold to obtain a democratic mandate to take action. The proposed legislation will go further. When action is taken, it is designed to restrict its effectiveness with the threat of imprisonment and dismissal for workers taking that action. This is a significant battle that Trades Unions cannot afford to lose. We must mobilise to oppose this legislation. I would urge you to read the TUC report Work before Wealth available to download from the TUC Website. The report makes an argument for growth not austerity, stating ‘…As we saw through the austerity decade, cutting pay and public services makes workers poorer and economic growth weaker.’ It also highlights the Bank of England scenario that puts unemployment on an upward trajectory to 2.2 million by the end of 2025. Unemployment is 1.2 million now.

Internationally, the picture is mixed. Before resigning Boris came to office promising to Get Brexit Done. This he achieved but in order to get Brexit done, he negotiated a less than favourable exit deal that has made import and export to Europe difficult, whilst new markets have not yet been developed. Labour shortages are

significant in agriculture and NHS further adding to the economic difficulties of the country.

In Brazil, 2022 saw the re-election of the socialist candidate Lula da Silva. The right wingAmerican-supported Bolsonaro was defeated. AUSATrump style resurgence and attempted Coup was unsuccessful, and Bolsonaro is currently under investigation for his role in the attempt. Lula da Silva has promised to prevent further deforestation that took place under Bolsonaro and to look to protect the environment and wildlife in Brazil that impacted on climate change and poisoned water tables causing ill health in local populations and wildlife.

The Trades Council has had regular updates on the developments in Iran in 2022, especially about the campaign developed by women rejecting the forced wearing of the hijab. On the international stage Iranian celebrities and sports women have removed their headscarves following the death of a young women who was beaten to death by the Hezbollah, (Iranian special forces police) for having some hair showing. There have been strikes and protests across the country over the last six months. Now it is understood that in many cities’ women are visible without the Hijab but attempts to overthrow the regime do not seem to have a common replacement. The struggles continue as the regime under pressure fights back hard, regularly executing by hanging young men and women who have protested. This week saw the execution of a citizen with dual nationality with the UK. Alireza Akbari was accused of spying and had been in prison for three years. This act seems to have outraged foreign Governments who have condemned the action. The struggle of workers in Iran continues with public servants not being paid for months and inflation spiralling out of control whilst Iranian Islamic leaders’ families receive education abroad – some in Eaton and Harrow and private health care in America and it is also alleged they hide millions of pounds of public money in foreign accounts. Over the last six months or so, the Internet has been cut or is at least very intermittent, so communication with people in Iran continues to be difficult. We have seen war in Europe between Russia and Ukraine. The British Government have been itching to embroil itself in this situation (as a convenient solution to the industrial action and to promote Growth). This week Britain has promised twelve Tanks to Ukraine. The destruction in that country is astounding. An understanding of the reality of the situation in Ukraine is not promoted by the ‘anti-Putin’media and this does little justice to the situation obscuring resolution and an end to war. The divisions in Ukrainian society are not reported, very basically summarised as distrust and hatred between the Russophobes who are hyper-nationalistic mainly in the west (Kiev) and the Russophiles in the industrial eastern regions, proud of their Russian history. Quoted in the Morning Star Petro, ‘cites hyper-nationalism as a primary driver of the 2014 US-backed coup and it is this same hyper-nationalism that resulted in the Kiev government’s punishment of the eastern region with laws and policies to prohibit use of Russian language, Russian TV channels, Russian social media networks, prohibit air travel between Ukraine and Russia, and impose an economic blockade on trade

and transport with the coal and iron-rich Donbass’. Afar more complex situation than descriptions on the BBC would have you believe (-Mad Putin on the rampage) that do little to help workers in the situation.

Climate Change has seen the warmest temperatures over a sustained period last summer in Britain as well as the highest temperatures on record in parts of Europe in December. Ski slope resorts have had no snow and usual temperatures of 3 or 4 degrees Celsius were recorded as high as 13 degrees in places. Extreme weather events becoming more frequent. An international response is urgently needed to prevent further climate change that threatens the planet.

The Trades Union Council has proudly stood in solidarity with workers on strike on almost every picket line this year in Wolverhampton and supported by organising two Joint Rallies with speakers, food and a festival atmosphere in extreme weather on each occasion! We saw hundreds turning out to support those on strike, boosting the morale of strikers who took strength from hearing from others also on strike and even having the Bishop of Wolverhampton on the platform, who spoke brilliantly as a Christian in support of the action and argued for supporting the oppressed and challenging the oppressor. Thanks must go to Nick who without doubt has the proven track record as the best secretary in the labour movement and to members of the executive who have spread the load and helped with organisation over the previous busy period especially thanks to Di. ThankYou to all from the trade union and labour movement who turned out and have supported events and action.

The next General election is not too far away and we need to continue to argue for progressive policies to support working people, promote growth in our economy not austerity; oppose marketisation and privatisation and stand up for public services. We need to promote understanding and discussion in a climate of Jingoism. We need a labour leader who will not shy from supporting working people on strike and the Trade Union movement.

This coming year will see the Trades Council begin to organise around May Day for the first time since the pandemic as well as Workers Memorial Day, and ‘Protect the Right to Strike day’ 1st February. I look forward to standing with you all on picket lines in the coming period. Actions often speak louder than words.

M. Taylor

EVENTS in 2023

see www.wolvestuc.org.uk for details of these meetings

Thurs 19 January 2023, 7pm Annual General Meeting WB&DTUC

Sat 11/Sun 12 TUC #HeartUnions public activity

Thurs 16 February 7:15pm WB&DTUC Delegate meeting

Thurs 16 March 7:15pm WB&DTUC Delegate meeting

Thurs 20 April7:15pm WB&DTUC Delegate meeting

Fri 28 April 12:30pm Workers’ Memorial Day

Mon 1 May 7pm Workers’ Day @Gill's Banqueting Suite

Thurs 18 May 7:15pm WB&DTUC Delegate meeting

Thurs 15 June7:15pm WB&DTUC Delegate meeting

Sat 1 July 11am TUC Women Chainmakers’ Festival

Thurs 20 July7:15pm WB&DTUC Delegate meeting

There is no August Delegate meeting of WB&DTUC

Thurs 21 September 7:15pm WB&DTUC Delegate meeting

Thurs 19 October 7:15pm WB&DTUC Delegate meeting

Thurs 16 November 7:15pm WB&DTUC Delegate meeting

Thurs 21 December 2023 7:15pm WB&DTUC Delegate meeting

Our Executive Committee meetings take place the week before the delegate meetings