Criteria had been agreed for Shop front resource centres (a way of organising in local communities and making the union visible) i.e. they served more than one branch and that resources be pooled to run a centre.
There was some discussion of the position EU (European
Union) nationals find themselves in following the Brexit vote. Their right to
remain depended on EU citizenship. There was a report from a meeting that had
taken place of UNISON members in Norwich of members who were EU citizens and of
how we tackle issues of discrimination and the reported high levels of racist
abuse following the Brexit vote.
Recruitment and
membership report – There was a continuing trend of a growth in private but
loss in public sector membership. It was noted there was an increase in the
numbers employed in schools but that we needed more activists to keep up with
this. An NEC member stated that we can get activists when members are motivated
because something is going on in the world as in the case of the meeting for
the EU citizen UNISON members. The Labour party had doubled or tripled its size
in a year and a half but this appeared to have flowed around us could we get
some of the Labour Party members who were UNISON members to be more active in
the union?
Trade Union
subscription rates for Teaching
assistants – A table was circulated comparing these. GMB had increased
their subs in the last year by 50p, ATL were offering the first year of
membership with a 50% reduction, UNITE offer 2 options of payment - a basic
rate that offers core union facilities and an enhanced rate that entitles the
member to more benefits including insurance offers. UNISON subs change
according to salary, some of the other unions subs change just according to
number of hours worked. There was a comment from an NEC member that at least
one other union was trying to compete with UNISON by asking staff to tick the
part time box on the member form so the member would pay less. It was commented
that we should be competing on quality as well as price. Disputes like the
Teaching assistants disputes in Derby and Durham should be highlighted where
UNISON was supporting its members. There was a point made by an NEC member about
using retired members as a resource - to do case work - for example. The same
NEC member was not convinced about retired members doing recruitment as they
would not know the workplace as currently is.
Recruiting and
Organising in schools – There were more losses in schools membership than
expected in October which it was stated was normally a good month. There were
more support staff in schools and we should be recruiting more. The proposed
merger of ATL (Association of Teachers and Lecturers) and the NUT (National
Union of teachers) was discussed. An NEC member raised the question of why we
had not merged with any significant union since Vesting day (1993). Union
density had declined overall in the UK in the last 20 years but this was not
the case in education. Shouldn’t we be talking to NUT and ATL so we were
working together and not poaching each other’s members? It was noted it was
easier to recruit other union’s members who were already convinced of the need
to be in a union than the portion of the workforce not in any union. Shouldn’t
this be a discussion we should be having in the union?
Private Contractors
forum – The first Private contractors national forum had taken place in
Leeds in November 2016 (established following a rule change agreed at national
delegate conference 2016) which it was stated by the national officer had been
very successful. Sessions had included ones on Recruiting and Organising and
Bargaining with private sector employers.
Learning and
Organising report – We received figures showing the number of new stewards
elected and trained and there were breakdowns by age range and ethnic origin.
We also received the figures for Health and Safety reps and Union Learning reps
trained. An NEC member again asked for these figures to be broken down by
Service Group. These would be available for the January 2017 meeting. The North
West had the second highest number of new stewards elected of any Region
January – October 2016.
RMS/WARMS – There
will be an assurer doing a membership audit so the union can receive a
certificate from the Certification officer in 2017. Regions were aiming to
ensure that the 9,000 DOCAS (Deduction of Contributions at Source) employers
were data cleansed at least once a year. A mobile campaign tool had been
developed and delivered to over 200 Fighting fund organisers and Organisers
were beginning to use the tool. Branches would determine who would get access
to the tool like the situation now with WARMS/RMS due to privacy issues etc. There
would be elearning available as with WARMS but this would be much simpler than
the WARMS elearning.
Budget bids were
approved for Organisation and membership subcommittee of D&O, the Member
Liaison Unit, Learning and Organising services, RMS and the Strategic
Organising Unit.
Branches under
Regional supervision – there were none from the North West.
Certification officer
– There were meetings set up for 19th -21st December 2016
regarding complaints made to the Certification officer about the conduct of the
General Secretary election 2015.
National Executive
Council election procedures – Electoral Reform Services (ERS) had made
recommendations following the General Secretary election. Branches can put out
a 100 word statement when informing members who they have nominated in the NEC
elections e.g. in Branch newsletters. A
photo of a candidate can be included in ballot material. There was some
discussion about the timetable which some NEC members suggested was tight in
the indicative timetable. This would be reviewed. There would be an extra short
meeting before the next full NEC to consider these points and sign off the
procedures. Every member of the NEC needed to receive the procedures by the
next meeting.
An honorary life
membership award was approved in the Eastern Region.
