Midlands TUC Annual Report 2008

date: 28th February 2009 Midlands TUC Annual Report 2008 Contents 5 From the Chair 8 From the Regional Secretary 12 The Economy 16 Learning and Skills 23 Equalities Womens Committee LGB & T Network Black Members Forum Pensioners Forum 27 Community Women Chainmakers Festival Review of the year from Chesterfield and District Trades Union Council Vulnerable Workers 31 Making our voice heard Influencing Government From the Regional Ministers Midlands TUC in the media Publications 34 Financial Report 3 Section One From the Chair most high profile high street names to disappear so far. Further redundancies are expected in the new-year as the recession bites into the retail sector. • John Freeman, Chair Midlands TUC • The closed Woolworths store in Economic downturn Birmingham where even the shelving had The latter part of the year became dominated by been sold off. the economy. As serious faults in the world Whilst the Midlands TUC and our affiliates in banking system created catastrophic impact on the sector have been campaigning for support to just about everyone. What seemed to begin as a manufacturing industry for many years, we now problem with mortgages in the United States of face a situation where large parts of the sector America quickly turned into a fully fledged are in dire need of support. Motor world financial crisis. With just about every manufacturers and their supply chain colleagues bank declaring their exposure to the errors of are particularly challenged by the current unregulated bad investment and borrowing situation. With traditional brands like Spode, decisions, it was maybe a matter of time before Royal Worcester and Wedgewood going into the real economy began to suffer. administration, the Potteries will soon no longer We are now all well aware of the problems. be recognised as the centre of Britain’s skilled Despite people needing houses, house building crafts. We know the significance of the was the first sector to grind to a halt, followed manufacturing sector in both the east and west by a slowdown across construction as demand midlands to the still large numbers of our and confidence have wained. Ucatt have battled members who rely on this sector for their against redundancies. employment. We also know that it is not just those directly employed by the sector that are We have witnessed the demise of retail stores affected but also surrounding shops and services with MFI and Woolworths probably being the that are to a greater or lesser degree dependent. Trades Union Congress Midlands TUC Annual Report 2008 5 Midlands TUC Annual Report 2008 Only where companies are focused on exports advance of the May elections failed to do we sense any real sense of optimism as the materialise, largely down to some expert and value of the pound falls against other currencies. well planned campaigning by unions and local anti fascist groups. I would like to congratulate Neither should we forget the sector’s all those individuals and groups who helped to contribution to research and development as a see off the BNP threat in many areas. percentage of all midlands R & D. Significant amounts of money are spent, year in, year out, However, we were not successful in preventing a on research which has – and will again – drive number of BNP gains in Stoke on Trent, our economic growth and provide high quality Nuneaton and Bedworth, Amber Valley, North well paid jobs to the region. Similarly, training – West Leicestershire, Broxtowe and Charnwood. it will be the skills of our workforce that will Late in the year we also saw a BNP councillor rebuild our regional economy and so we resist all elected in Boston. In many parts of the region moves by employers to cut back on training and the BNP now have a toe hold and will be using apprenticeships. this in their bid to get County Councillors and even an MEP at the scheduled June 2009 The Midlands TUC has continued to campaign elections. To prevent this we have been planning and lobby the region’s MPs to ensure continuing a joint campaign with Searchlight aimed at and increased support to protect jobs and turning out the vote against the BNP in what earnings, and we have welcomed the Labour will be a hugely significant round of elections. government’s huge financial investment to protect jobs, first in the financial sector and in parts of manufacturing and construction. And I am delighted that our regional secretary, Roger McKenzie, has been able to represent those demands in the influential economic forums set up by our two regional ministers. As with any recession it will be the public services which will take the brunt of the fallout. The huge cost of government measures today to reflate the economy will curb public spending in the future. Public services will be hit. Civil servants, local government and health workers will all be expected to pick up the pieces and pay with their jobs and cuts in their earnings. I would like to single out the particular threat posed by the BNP in Stoke on Trent. Despite the So, as ever, the outgoing year sets our agenda for huge efforts of Norscarf to beat back the BNP the next – 2009 will be a year when all our they now have nine councillors and were campaigning and activity must be directed at expecting to make a strong run for the Mayor of ensuring we protect jobs and earnings and build Stoke on Trent next summer. This possibility for the future. ended when the referendum abolished the post Campaign against the BNP of Mayor, but there is still the possibility of The ongoing campaign to prevent the advance of significant BNP gains under the newly the BNP had many victories in 2008 but also established electoral system which comes into some setbacks along the way. The massive play from next year, with all forty seats up for increase in councillors predicted by the BNP in election. We should, as a movement, ensure no Trades Union Congress Midlands TUC Annual Report 2008 6 effort is spared to ensure that the BNP is beaten back in Stoke on Trent. Women Chainmakers Festival The fourth Women Chainmakers festival took place at the Black Country Living Museum on Saturday 13th September, attracting more people than ever before. This festival has become a key event in the TUC diary, both as celebration of past achievements but also as a beacon of hope for the future. The Women Chainmakers festival is an occasion when we can celebrate together an important moment in history, where 800 women won a dispute for insisting on their right to a minimum wage for their labour, and I look forward to welcoming even more trade unionists th to the 2009 festival on Saturday 12 September. Thanks 2008 has been a busy year and I would like to record my thanks to union activists across the Midlands whose unstinting voluntary efforts on behave of their work colleagues have helped boost union numbers. I want to thank all unions that have played a part in the Midlands TUC, who have brought fresh ideas and perspectives, and helped inspire us to move forward. I would like to thank members of the Regional Council, those who have contributed through our various forums, networks and sub-committees, and members of the Executive. I would also like to thank the staff of the Midlands TUC for their support they have given me as Chair, and all of us, to help realise our aspirations and make the Midlands TUC the effective influential organisation it is today. It is all of your work that convinces me that together we will provide the leadership and support needed for working people across the Midlands during the challenging year ahead. John Freeman Chair, Midlands TUC Section Two Trades Union Congress Midlands TUC Annual Report 2008 7 Midlands TUC Annual Report 2008 something. Joe wasn’t just a really dedicated From the trade unionist and community activist – he was also just a great guy and will be greatly missed Regional by all of us. Secretary Welcome to the annual report of the Midlands TUC for the year covering 2008. As in every other year the trade union movement in the region has had to face up to some enormous challenges. The pages of this report set out some of the ways that trade unionists in the region have tried to meet these challenges while, at the • Joe, left, at the Engineering Centre for same time, trying to renew our movement so Vocational Excellence at Derby College that we are better placed to represent the during a visit by TUC General Secretary interests of our members and their families and, Brendan Barber. in doing so, to stand up for social justice in the workplace and beyond. The new format of this annual report allows us One of the things that Joe held most dear, along to provide more detail of the work that we are with many in the region, was manufacturing. I doing in the region as well as to uphold our remember him speaking passionately at regional commitment to develop much more carbon council meetings about the way that the neutral working practices and environment in manufacturing sector was being decimated. Even our office. when the economy was supposedly doing well Joe joined with many of us in trying to pressure I think that it is right to begin this report by the Government to do much more to support saying thank you to all trade unionists who manufacturing. I write much more in later pages work so tirelessly within the region to stand up of the Annual Report about the trade union for working people at work and in wider response to the recession but it is instructive to societies.

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