POA Annual Conference 2017
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POA Annual Conference 2017 Annual Conference Verbatim Report Tuesday 9th May 2016 Report of Standing Orders 2 Minute Silence 4 Acting National Chair Opening Address 8 The Worshipful Mayor of Sefton 9 Motions 1-7a 9 - 18 Finance Officers Report 18 Motions 95 - 96 21 - 22 Motion 8 - 30 22 - 45 Address: Fraternal Greetings, Colin Moses, Honorary Life Member 45 Wednesday 10th May 2016 Motion 32 49 Annual General Meeting of the National Secure Hospitals Consultative Committee 53 Address: Danny Angus, Management of Violence & Aggression Lead, Merseycare NHS Trust 54 Motion 96a 57 Address: Chris Swindon, Fundraising Officer, Francis House Foundation 58 Motion 35 - 42 59 - 63 Address: Yvonne Pattison, NAPO National Co-Chair 64 Cronin Clasp Awards 67 Address: Angela Cairns, CEO, Shannon Trust 69 Presentation of Toe by Toe Cup 69 Motions 43 - 70 70 - 82 Address: Tim Roach General Secretary GMB 82 Motion 57 - 84 85 - 99 Address: John Clinton, General Secretary, POA Ireland 100 Motions 85 - 86 102 - 103 Thursday 11th May 2016 Address: Doug Nicholls GFTU 104 Motions 87 - 138 105 - 142 Closing speech Mark Fairhurst Acting National Chair 142 Closing Speech Steve Gillan General Secretary 143 Address: Mike Rolfe 144 POA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2017 Tuesday 9th to Thursday 11th May, 2017 Tuesday 9th May, Morning Session MARK FAIRHURST – ACTING NATIONAL CHAIR: Thank you Conference, we’re now in session. I’ll invite the General Secretary, Steve Gillan, to address Conference with a few announcements. STEVE GILLAN – GENERAL SECRETARY: Thank you Chairman. Thank you conference and first of all welcome to Conference, first time delegates and those of you that have been before. There’s a couple of announcements after an Executive meeting yesterday that I would like to make. First of all you will notice that Pete Chapple isn’t on the top table as Finance Officer. That is because Pete had an accident at work some time ago and is now thankfully back at work and is on a phased return, but it will be me that’s moving the finance report and indeed the welfare report. It’s also great to see Chris Donovan back on the top table, and I’m sure most colleagues at Conference will welcome Chris and wish him all the best for a speedy recovery against the illness that he faces at this moment in time. <Applause> And to my great friend Brian Caton, Honorary Life Member, I’m sure most of you will know that Brian hasn’t been too well of late as well and is back in this country, in hospital. I visited Brian a couple of weeks ago. He’s making steady progress. It will take a while but we hope that Brian makes a full and speedy recovery, a stalwart of this Union. Conference, I was working it out at the weekend but this is, as a local and national official this is my 23rd Annual Conference, my first one being in 1994 and I never pre-empt anything each year in relation to Conference, and some things arer outwith oue control in relation to this Conference. Mark Fairhurst is the stand-in National Chairman, Acting Chairman. I’m sure you will all wish Mark all the very best chairing this Conference. He will be well looked after by this Executive and full-time officers, and indeed I know from the colleagues up here, if any individual NEC member had to take over the Chair because of their expertise, they would make an excellent job of it, with the experience that they have around them from the Deputy General Secretary, myself, Glyn Travis and the full-time officers, so I wish Mark all the very best during this Conference and I’m sure, knowing Mark, he will rise to that occasion. But in relation to the issues, colleagues, you will know that I put out a timetable for the vacant NEC position. I’ve made the decision, Conference, to suspend that timetable and issue a new timetable this week which will also include the National Chair election and that NEC vacant position, and we will run the elections together, which will be a saving for the Union of £20,000. And one of the reasons that I will be doing that, we’ve checked it out legally, within our rule book and with Electoral Reform Commission – there is nothing to stop us from doing that. It makes common sense in actual fact, when you look at our turnout in elections of some 10%, it makes common sense to run the elections together and save this Union money and get a National Chair in place as quickly as possible. So that timetable I will get out as quickly as possible in the next day or two. The third item that I would like to raise, there are motions on our order paper that are extremely sensitive. We’ve got specific legal advice in relation to some of that and I think we need a full, frank debate on where we go as a trade union in relation to some of those motions. So therefore, the National Executive Committee have determined, in your booklets, that the following motions, 24, 25, 54, 56, 61, 66, 91 … I will repeat it again for you, and 116. Find your booklets and just identify, there’s nothing sinister in relation to it. I’m just going to make an announcement that the NEC have determined … everyone got their booklets out? Motion 24, motion 26 (please put an asterisk next to them), motion 54, motion 56, motion 61, motion 66, motion 91 and motion 116. Is everybody clear on the motions that I’ve just read out or do you want to hear them again? Content, Conference? Due to the sensitivities of these motions and the legal advice that we have, we will be hearing those motions in a closed session in camera for delegates only, because we’re not in the habit of handing game, set and match to the employer through a verbatim report or through the media. Thank you. Conference, that’s the announcement. MARK FAIRHURST – ACTING NATIONAL CHAIR: Thank you General Secretary. I’m now going to invite Vice Chair Terry Fullerton to move the Standing Orders report. 1 TERRY FULLERTON – ACTING VICE CHAIR: Thank you Chair, Conference. Good morning colleagues and welcome to Southport. The POA’s 78th Annual Conference. As Chair of Standing Orders, it is my intention to set up the Order of Business and I would like to thank the Committee for conducting the business of the Union. There is a lot of information which I need to share with you, and I’m sure that recent communications re the sudden departure of the two most senior elected officials of the Union will have caused some surprise and concern to the delegates. Well, it caused surprise and concern to the rest of the NEC as well ‘cause it came out of the blue for us. We were considering at some point changing the strapline from ‘Belong to be strong’ to ‘Never a dull day in the POA’ but there we are. However, the Executive have put in place some measures to ensure Conference runs smoothly and that we get through the business. Firstly, you will note that in Order of Business we have a number of fringe meetings scheduled during the conference. These are being put on to provide extra information and share information for the delegates. Can I urge delegates to support these events wherever possible. Food and refreshment will be offered at each event and space may be limited so please get there early to avoid disappointment. You should have all registered and been furnished with the appropriate documentation for this year’s 78th Annual Conference. Should you need any assistance during the week, do not hesitate to contact the Conference staff in the Conference Office or any of the NEC. All delegates were issued with Conference booklet, Emergency Motions, Conference papers and Report Back booklet, following the promulgation of POA Circular 58 of 2017, and I hope that you’ve all brought these with you. Delegates wishing to address Conference should make their way to the front of the hall and take a seat. All delegates must take up seats on the floor of Conference. I am assured that there is sufficient seating for all delegates scheduled to attend. Delegates, observers, providers, invited guests and Honorary Life Members must wear your identification badge throughout Conference to assist the security team. Whilst we have no specific intelligence on security threats, will everyone be vigilant and report any concerns to a member of the security team? I would remind you that only delegates are allowed on the Conference floor and all observers and other invited guests must take up seats in the appropriate designated area. In moving Standard Orders Committee report to this 78th Annual Conference, the Standing Orders Committee seeks the approval of Conference for the following delegates to be appointed at scrutineers and tellers. Stewart McLaughlin from Wandsworth, Wendy Price from Drake Hall, Phil Tuck from Cardiff, Dave Cook from Swaleside, Niall McIntosh from Whitemoor and Duncan Williams from Littlehey. Can I call on the Chair to ask Conference to approve the scrutineers and tellers? MARK FAIRHURST – ACTING NATIONAL CHAIR: Conference, can you show your permission to approve the scrutineers and tellers? Thank you very much. That’s approved. TERRY FULLERTON – ACTING VICE CHAIR: Thank you Chair. The Standing Orders procedures in regard to the Order of Business for Conference are set out on the inside of the Conference Agenda.