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FRIDAY AFTERNOON
PRIORITIES
Branches are asked
to express a preference for motions they would wish to have debated
on Friday afternoon.Motions
will be selected only from those on the original prioritised business
and not reached by Friday lunchtime.
This includes motions
heading up each half day's business and those listed on the Preliminary
Order of Business. Branches may wish to consider the following
motions from the original Scottish list and any emergency motions.....
106 Fuel Taxation
99 Fuel Poverty
119 HIV/AIDS
128 Colombia
105 Stamp Out Torture
Comp I, GATS
Emergency: Asylum Immigration
/ Racism
124 Palestine
UNISON RULES
OK!
Mike Kirby, highly
esteemed Scottish Convener, one of our regional delegates to Conference,
and one of Scotland's saddest rules anoraks, could not resist
the Conference Briefing Team's request for an update on the rules.
The Briefings Team
will give a prize to any delegate who can provide evidence that
they have sat in the hall throughout the entire rules session
this afternoon (and also managed to stay awake!)
Scotland
withdraws rule change no. 7 - support no 8 instead
After the stalemate
following a half-day of debate last year, motion 23 seeks to re-open
the whole issue, when the evidence was that the small numbers
of cases bringing the union into disrepute or abusing funds does
not require a wholesale review and that the ‘incremental' revision
of 8 can address problems.
Scotland has withdrawn
amendment to rule no. 7 - Suspensions, following representations
from the NEC that the proposed procedures in no. 7 could be open
to vexatious claims or malicious complaints. We will review our
proposals but meanwhile recommend support for amendment to rule
no. 8 which would provide for suspension in cases of financial
irregularities. In these cases, suspension could protect the individual
as well as the organisation.
Amendment 1 from Bromley
may appear attractive but would destabilise the proceedings of
Conference to persistent wrangles and disputes over rules.
Conference
quorum and procedure -amendments to rule
Delegates are recommended
to support rule change 15 which would give parts of the union,
in addition to the NEC and branches, greater access to the agenda.
Delegates are recommended
to oppose rule changes 13 and 14 where the proposals to allow
amendments to amendments to rule really stretch the rule anoraks
minds to the extreme.
Support 15, oppose
13 and 14.
Branch funding
Regional pool system will benefit those branches most in need
Yesterday afternoon
conference accepted the new, yet complicated branch funding proposals.
Amendment 163.2 moved
by Highland Branch, around the definition of 'General Fund Reserves'
was passed. This amendment recognises the effect on branch finances
of the Local Government industrial action.
The main debate took
place around amendment 163.8 versus 163.7. James Urquhart, Scottish
Health Care Branch, moving amendment 163.8, explained that many
branches with large numbers of low paid members were currently
living a "hand to mouth" existence.
He called for Conference
to support such branches and rid UNISON of it's current branch
funding "postcode lottery".
Through the Regional
Pool system, money will be allocated to those branches that need
it the most. James explained that amendment 163.8 enables the
Regional Pool to be increased in future years, if and when needed.
But the real highlight
of this debate came when Jill Thackery of Aberdeen City Branch
spoke against amendment 163.7 Jill describing the amendment which
takes from the rich and gives to the poor, as a "trot" motion
supported by the NEC and "would have Ann Picking spinning in her
safe Parliamentary seat"
Jill urged Conference
to reject amendment 163.7 by describing it as a system of giving
whether or not there is need.
She also indicated
her shock and surprise that this New Labour approach was being
championed by Lambeth!
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