It is hoped that they will be able to use this nomenclature as they feel appropriate when making public statements or seeking to make public statements relevant to GPTU.
10 Conference Motions"If you were really contemplating a complete re-write, then you would need to start with an enabling motion, put forward a Draft Voting Paper and then a Voting Paper over at least 3 conferences. But I don't think that that is what you have in mind, provided your list doesn't get much longer.
I think then there are two possibilities.
First you could simply put a series of discrete amendments to the WR chapter as motions amending the Mfss in the usual way. You wouldn't need to do it all at one conference - you could put forward a few at a time. A number of these subjects - unfair dismissal, minimum wage - are of course already covered.
Second, Policy Committee might be persuaded to put forward the chapter for what we call fast track review - where it is laid before conference as it is and people can put in amendments for the Final Agenda. I doubt if we would be willing to do this for this coming spring Conference, as Energy looks I think to us to be higher up the list, and there are people already at work on it. And there are other candidates for subsequent conferences. Moreover WR was done in this way not so long ago.
On balance if your list stays at its current length I'd tend to go for the first option.
Finally, I would urge you to consult beyond the Trade Union Group on these changes - our constitution urges us to try to seek consensus and wide consultation on policy proposals. You could set up a wider Workers rights e-mail list and policy group, or use the existing general policy or economics lists, but either way I think you should let the wider party know what you are up to and offer them the chance to comment before they see motions in the First Agenda.
I'm copying to my Policy Committee colleagues who may have things to add."
"British people work some of the longest hours in Europe, with some 3.6 million people regularly working more than 48 hours a week, yet 7 out of 10 people working over 48 hours per week say they would like to work fewer hours. For many however this is impossible, as they simply cannot afford to do so.
Overwork is forcing workers into unhealthy lifestyles as they attempt to reconcile long working hours and family responsibilities, according to a report from the charity Working Families. Half of the parents surveyed with unhappy with their work and family balance. A majority reported that work dominated their lives, and family life suffered as a result. Working long hours also led to increased levels of stress, resulting in irritability, exhaustion and depression.
At the same time, the gap between the most prosperous and the poorest in society has not been as great since the nineteen thirties.
"This party notes the fact that the ´earnings disregard´ on Jobseekers Allowance has not been updated since 1988 whereas the top earnings disregard on some supervised permitted work placements for people on Incapacity Benefit of 16 hours per week rose to £86 in line with the national minimum wage. We note that this represents a government attempt to drive jobseekers into low paid work or workfare type schemes, which particularly impacts on disabled people, asylum seekers and single parents; some of whom are being made destitute as a result. Furthermore cuts to Legal Aid make it difficult for those in this plight to seek any legal redress.
We also note that private companies are moving into the field of workfare seeking to profit from some of the most vulnerable and needy sections of society.Whilst recognising that this situation might, in the long term be solved by the introduction of a Citizen's Income scheme, we call on the government immediately to cease its attempts to financially coerce people onto workfare and to allow an 'earnings disregard' that is sufficient an income that is at least equivalent to that which can be earned from a full-time job on the minimum wage."
NB P.Murry felt that he did not have enough relevant expertise to propose this motion, a proposer is needed.
11 Noted that there had been a call to change the constitution, but it was generally felt that this could embroil GPTU in discussions re constitution rather than expanding its activities.
12 AOB
"The Green Party Trades Union Group calls upon Oxford University Union to cancel the invitation to speak that it has made to Nick Griffin of the BNP and to David Irving. Offering platforms to racists, fascists and holocaust deniers may seem like an academic exercise in freedom of speech, but it can lead to increases in racist attacks and harassment, especially at a time when many mainstream politicians are willing to pander to xenophobia for electoral advantage. Students at University such as Oxford should be historically literate enough to know where such posturing has led and could all too easily lead again. Lending a cloak of respectability to fascist views makes fascist acts easier. Does Oxford Union wish to be complicit in this?"
Please sign this petition if you have not already done so, thanks - it closes on 16 November http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/NoRacistAtOxford/
The petition reads:
´We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to condemn the invitations from the Oxford Union Society to David Irving and Nick Griffin to speak on 26 November 2007, with the aim of persuading the Union President to revoke the invitations´
HOME
PAGE