Minutes of GPTU Meeting 24th November, 2010 at RFH, Southbank, London

Present: Neil Walsh, Joseph Healy, Andy Hewett, John Carver, Andy Hewett, Teresa Delaney (co chairs) , Ken Burgess, Pete Murry (minutes), Alan Wheatley

Apologies: Zain Sardar (kettled?),Tom Maltby, Sue Tibbles, Noel Lynch

1. Minutes 0f 27/10/10: agreed for accuracy
2. Matters Arising
   1. Pete Murry thanked GPTU for get well soon card and flowers
   2. Has GPEW affiliated to the Coalition of Resistance (Green Left & GPTU have)? Check with Romayne Phoenix, possibly raise on GPEX via Gayle O´Donovan and/or Shan Oakes.
   3. Andy Hewett to end message thanking Caroline Lucas for voting for John McDonnell´s EDM on Trade Union Laws.
   4. Website discussion to roll over to next meeting.
3. Officers´ Reports: Treasurer: £144 in bank, no major outgoings. £:5 donation received with thanks from Alan Wheatley.
4. Anti-Cuts campaigns.
   1. Students have taken the lead. (demos report from London, Brighton, Warwick, Oxford Cambridge, reports of school students joining.)
   2. CoR Conference on 27th November: Stewards and stall volunteers needed. National Council and Steering Committee to be elected at conference.
   3. Ensure CoR acknowledges importance of disability.
   4. Lambeth anti cuts campaign held a successful meeting.
   5. Brent Fightback meeting forthcoming.
5. Spring Conference.
   1. Joseph (& others) to contact TU´s re stalls at Conference
   2. Sean Thompson working on Workers´ Rights section of manifesto? Input from GPTU needed?
   3. Teresa to write to Unison Wales.
   4. Teresa has booked a formal session for the AGM.
   5. GPTU stall needs booking.
   6. Motion on councillors draft to be discussed via email.
6. Other TU related matters
   1. Irish crisis; GPTU needs to send message to Policy Committee (?)
   2. election of Len McCluskey at Unite noted.
   3. Further strange responses from B. Coleman re FBU noted.
   4. Unison Balloting for Industrial Action.
   5. Further RMT tube strikes and Ballots (re victimization) pending.
   6. Industrial Action at Atomic Weapons Establishment.
   7. Southwark Council ignoring its own minimum wage pledges for Personal Care Assistants GP and TU´s protest.
   8. Community Care magazine is investigating the question of disabled persons ´employing´ Personal Care Assistants.
   9. Noel Lynch´s Green world article to be put on blog.
   10. GPEW staff now mostly GMB members. Meeting to discuss draft agreement with GPEW pending. KB will attend Holborn GMB meetings where possible.
   11. Jeremy Corbyn meeting with Caroline Lucas speaking on Health White Paper, House of Commons 30/11/2010 contact www.keepournhspublic.com