PRESENT
Bob Lambert - Chair (AMICUS)
Chris Burrow - Secretary (PCS)
Pete Norfolk - Treasurer (T&GWU)
Mike Fletcher -(UNISON)
Raph Piggott - (GMB)
Helen Winrow - (PCS)
Phil Hood - (AMICUS)
Keith Blackburn - (UNISON)
WELCOME
The Chairman Bob Lambert welcomed everyone to the
meeting and expressed his thanks for their attendance at the meeting.
Welcomed for the first time new delegate, Keith Blackburn, Unison,
Essex County Branch.
01/07 APOLOGIES
Jock Brown - (TSSA)
Simon Watson -(T&GWU
Mary Russell - (UNISON)
Dominic
02/07 CAMPAIGNING
1. NHS Together Rally
- The demo was successful with about two hundred demonstrators turning
out from around the region, Cambridgeshire, Ipswich, Colchester, Norwich
and Chelmsford. Whilst the demo was a good size and something to build
on what we really need is a national demostration. Unison ran a 16
man coach from Colchester to rally but sadly only three people travelled
on it. The delegates expressed concern the unions had not done enough
to back this day of action. Amicus and Unison should have advertised
this event better and then maybe we would have filled the coach.
2. Unite Against Fascism National
Conference - as our delegate to this event has
not attended tonight, it was agreed to Wait until the next meeting
for this report.
3. Organising for Fighting Trade Unions
- are organising a London May Day Rally. It was agreed to both send
a delegate and make a donation to this event, further arrangements
to be decided at the next meeting.
4. Anti racist music tour
- Phil Hood, reported that Amicus had teamed up with Love Music Hate
Racism to host a gig in Essex University, He helped out at an Amicus
stall at the gig and found there was a lot of interest in talking
about Unions a real opportunity to raise profile of unions among young
people. . It was felt that recruiting young members was becoming a
real problem for us all.
5.Workers Memorial Day - Secretary Chris Burrow circulated
a poster and leaflet he had made to hand out on Workers Memorial Day,
It was agreed to meet by the Memorial Tree at the bottom of Colchester
Park, in king's meadow at 11am on Saturday April 28th 2007. Following
these delegates would be running a stall in the town centre to give
out health and safety information.
6. Stop the War - People's Assembly
- Tuesday March 20th - The secretary advised he could attend the event.
03/07 SECRETARY REPORT, INCLUDING CORRESPONDENCE
Correspondence - February/ March 2007
1. RMT - TU Freedom Bill
2. TGWU - Affiliation Fees - 1/245, 1/608, 1/375
3. RAD - Refund of deposit for meeting
4. Defence Council Housing - booklet
5. TUC - CWU Post Office Campaign
6. Solidarity Magazine -his magazine were circulated
for the delegates to read.
7. Co -op Bank - Statement 194
8. TUC - Confirmation of registration
9. Socialist Resistance - Conference - University
of London 24.03.07,
10. SERTUC - Public Service Committee meeting
11. Hazards - H & E Conference Committee meeting,
12. TUC / Unison - NHS Day of Action
13. John4Leader - Acknowledgement of donation
14. Unison ECC- Affiliation
15. TUC - Supplier Details
16. Stop the War Coalition - Peoples Assembly 20.03.07
17. Essex County Assn TUCs - Acknowledgement of Affiliation
fee
18. Fair-trade - Magazine
19. Sheila Cohen - Speaker 10.05.07
20. Socialist worker - Mayday advert
21. Fighting Trade Unions -Rally 01.05.07
22. TU Studies Centre - Programme Summer Term 2007
04/07 Web-site/Banner
The Banner has now been used both at PCS Civil Service
Strike at Colchester Job Centre on 31 January and at NHS Together
Union day of action, Eastern Region , Cambridge last Saturday. The
Web -site is now up and running.
05/07 Finance
Account - The balance for March 2007 Main Account
and Sub Committee Account was circulated and question answered on
these Accounts.
It was agreed to:
1. To place greeting in the Socialist worker for May
- Day.
2. Make a donation to Organising for Fighting Trade Unions May - Day
Rally.
3. Make a donation to Manchester workers at Fujitsu.
4. To purchase 40 car stickers for Workers Memorial Day
06/07 Essex Association of TUCs
Pete Norfolk report on the Essex association of TUCs
- AGM held on February24th 2007. Giving details of the two motions
that will be put before TUCs Conference in June, one that was submitted
by our own Colchester Trades Councils on the "Labour Party Leader"
07/06 Delegates reports
Amicus - Colchester Central Branch
- Colchester Central Branch - Delegate Bob Lambert, reported that
he would be attending: Amicus Unity Gazette AGM at Preston on the
10th of March and The Amicus Essex & Hertfordshire Area Conference
15th March. Bob also reported that there is still no result in the
Des Heemskerk Tribunal.
1.CPS - DWP Essex
- Delegate Chris Burrow, reported that that
he had attended the PCS DWP Essex Branch AGM as a guet and the support
from Colchester TUC was mentioned.
2. The DWP Office Services Review - Hadens
Building Management took over aspects of DWP work, including switchboards.
A member at Colchester Jobcentre was affected.
3. SERTUC Public Services Committee meeting
on March 5th guest speaker was Hugh Lanning of PCS who spoke on the
current dispute. Delegates reported on a range of issues including
ever creeping privatisation
CPS -H I M R C
- Delegate Helen Winrow, reported that the day of strike action had
been a success and detailed the events from her area. Helen also asked
the meeting for ideas with recruiting young members - any experience
of problems? Helen's branch of PCS intends to continue the affiliation
to Colchester TUC and received from Chris Burrow the application form,
as well as the receipt for the current affiliation. Helen also volunteered
her services for the 'Alternative Oyster Feast' event in October.
