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Welcome
to sunny Brighton
| This
is the first in a series of daily bulletins produced by the
Communications & Campaigns Committee, along with Regional
Delegates Mike and Mary. |
L
to R; Robin Hunter Scottish Rep on Standing Orders; Mike Kirby
and Mary Crichton, Scottish Region reps; Matt Smith, Scottish
Secretary |
This is not a ‘News'
service after the event (after all you were there), it is for
briefing delegates before the debates. That is not as easy as
it looks since we often don't know when the debate will be coming
up!
However we will also
try to report on some debates in these bulletins and on the website
to help branches report back. See your pack for more details.
If you need to contact the team, see Mike Kirby or Mary Crichton
at the Regional Delegates seats (see seating plan) or grab John
Stevenson (carefully) at the City of Edinburgh delegation seats.
Please avoid coming
up to the Newsheet Area. Space is very limited this year and even
we are not allowed all the team members in at once.
Comp F (Trade
Union Rights) changed
A new composite F has
been issued (see your Standing Orders report) and there is now
no Amendment F.1 or F.2.
Scotland had a problem
with F.1 (63.1) which called for repeal of all anti trade union
laws, rather than the more constructive approach in F which sets
challenges to the government to further extend trade union rights.
63.1 is now in the Composite and the issue of concern has been
dropped.
F.2 which called for
affiliation compared to the Scottish position, to ‘enter into
discussion' as in the main motion, has now been withdrawn.
Support Comp F
Are you sitting
comfortably? (are you sitting at all?)
Perceptive delegates
will have spotted a teeny problem with the Conference Seating
plan this year.
Small insignificant
slip-ups like branches missed out, people allocated to sit on
each others' knees and wrong numbering have crept into an otherwise
perfect diagram.
Perfectionists as we
are, we decided to re-print the Plan (well, get Chris Bartter
to re-print the plan) and have new copies rushed down to Brighton.
These were handed out at the Scottish Branches Meeting last night
and there will be a few available from the Briefings Team.
At risk of sounding
like Shaggy, it really wasn't us!
NOTE: If the
diagram is still wrong, try some ‘free form' seating like some
of the more avant-garde delegates to the Local Government Conference
Having
trouble getting information?
Scottish Communications
Officer Chris Bartter urgently needs information from branches
for a press query re freedom of information.
Have you had any difficulty
in getting information from non direct public sector bodies? These
may be private companies, PFI consortia, arms-length trusts, voluntary
sector bodies etc.
Please phone Chris
as soon as possible on 0141 332 0006, or 0771 558 3729
Women's Self
Organisation
The amendment proposes
women's officers in each region.This
fails to recognise the review of structures and staffing currently
underway and referred to in the annual report.
The proposals in the
amendment would require every region to have a women's officer
which takes away from the different needs of different regions
and the deployment of staff.
The South and South
East regions continue to exist in lay structures but are served
by one staffing and structure across two regions which has a women's
officer. In Scotland there is agreement between the Scottish Secretary
and the Scottish Committee on the appropriate support for all
service groups, standing committees and self organised bodies.
Support motion 46
Oppose amendment 46.1.
Motion 52
- Tuition Fees
Motion 52 on tuition
fees can be supported but amendment 52.3 which supports a non-payment
campaign should be opposed. As well as being contrary to the students'
union, the NUS, it would add to financial difficulties which students
face.
Support motion 52
Oppose amendment 52.3
Young Workers
and Temporary Contracts (motion 49) and Fair Wages and a Two-tier
Workforce (composite D)
Motion 49 calls for
guidelines to assist branches in minimising and regulating the
use of temporary workers, recognising the increased vulnerability
of young people.
The effect of privatisation
and TUPE in creating a two tier workforce could be addressed by
re-introducing a fair wages clause into contracts. 38 - 40 and
the Scottish amendments provide this in Comp D and should be supported.
The Highland amendment
38.1 calls for the tightening up of the TUPE regulations to include
pension rights. Glasgow City's amendment 38.2 adds to the motion
referring to the recent transfer of Trunk Roads workers.
Support motion 49
Support composite D
Composite
E - Living Wage
UNISON's Campaign for
a Living Wage has done much to bring the problem of low pay to
the attention of the public and policy makers. But we still have
to achieve many of our aims and objectives. Our actions remain
critical to sustainnig the campaign.
Support composite
E
Annual ‘spot
the frock' competition.
Anne Middleton (Depute
Scottish Secretary) is renowned for as many changes of dress as
Alma Cogan (that should sort the oldies from the young delegates).
But this year she confessed
to an undercover Scotland in UNISON reporter that she had brought
only one suitcase.
So to keep you on your
toes this week, we are offering a highly valuable prize for photographic
evidence of any frock worn twice by Ms Middleton.
Answers please to the
Briefings Team by Thursday lunchtime (it means she can wear what
she likes on Friday).
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