General Conference
The 2008 General Conference took place on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 June 2008.
General conference deals with issues that affect all members, like Education and Training, Equal Opportunities and union Finance.
Monday 9 June 2008
Pensions a "national scandal"
The daily hardship faced by millions of pensioners struggling to make ends meet on the basic state pension was branded a ‘national scandal’. Delegates committed the union to campaign within the Labour movement, the voluntary sector and the National Pensioner’s Convention for an increase in the state pension above the official poverty rate.
Conference unanimously agreed that urgent help is also needed for the UK’s current pensioner population. Citing the shocking statistic that one in five pensioners are currently forced to scrape an existence below the poverty line in one of the world’s richest economies, Gerry Ryan of Capital branch stressed the urgent need to heap pressure on the Labour Government to act without delay. Retired Members’ Advisory Committee member Ernie Purkiss blasted the Government for refusing to solve the problem by using the massive surplus in the National Insurance "kitty".
Fighting for the NHS
Cutbacks and closures across the NHS are bound to intensify if new plans for "Poly-Clinics" - that the Government intends to put out to tender to private companies – get the go-ahead.
Conference delegates committed the union to increase its support for trade union and community campaigns against the "creeping privatisation" of health services amid fears that the Government is moving towards an "American model where millions have no access to free medical care".
Proposing the motion, Judy Griffiths of Coventry branch pointed out that despite Labour’s promises in opposition to end the "internal market" in the NHS implemented by the Tories, the "creeping privatisation" has actually been taken to a whole new level. Despite opposition to the motion from East Midlands branch which argued that Poly-Clinics are being unfairly demonised, the vast majority of delegates agreed with Jan Zablocki of North Midlands branch who argued that they would prove a "Trojan horse to NHS local treatment". Supporting the motion on behalf of the executive, NEC member Lesley McClean pledged the union will work with the TUC to organise a national demonstration against the Poly-Clinic plan.
Solidarity with Fujitsu Strikers
CWU conference delegates gave striking members at Fujitsu in Birmingham a rousing show of support, committing the union to use "all means available" in the fight to save to 140 manufacturing jobs that the company wants to offshore to Texas.
A delegation of 15 of the strikers visited conference to hear an emergency motion supporting their fight for jobs. The group was given an emotional standing ovation after a passionate debate in which Fujitsu Birmingham branch secretary outlined members feelings of betrayal at the "dreadful and soul-destroying" way they have been treated by Fujitsu.
Last year Fujitsu Telecoms was benchmarked against other Fujitsu plants in America, Japan, China and Korea, and the results showed that the UK plant was as good as or slightly better than the other plants. "This is another reason why the proposed transfer of our work to the USA was so unexpected." Assistant secretary Grace Mitchell – the national officer with responsibility for members in Fujitsu – warned the company it should brace itself for further action unless progress is made in ongoing talks with the company.
Tuesday 10 June 2008
Labour MP calls for Change of Direction
Guest Speaker Labour MP for Dagenham, Jon Cruddas, urged CWU members to join him in fighting to change the Labour Party for the better. Mr Cruddas, who plays a leading role in the CWU Parliamentary group, pointed to the crucial role that he and the rest of our union’s sponsored MPs play in ensuring that communications workers’ voices are heard at the highest levels.
Focussing particularly on the political reaction to the current savage wave of post office closures, the Essex MP explained: "All members of Parliament are facing post office closures and the consequent degradation of their communities and all MPs know the value of local post offices. But, despite all that, the network is being downgraded". As an alternative to the current agenda of cuts, Mr Cruddas proposed a positive programme of expansion, arguing that, with meaningful government support, the network could expand its activities and become the main point of access to government services.
Tough Times Ahead for CWU Finances
In his keynote speech on the state of the union’s finances Senior Deputy General Secretary, Tony Kearns warned that difficult and sometimes unpalatable decisions will need to have been made by the end of the year to ensure the survival of the CWU as a stand-alone union in the communications sector.
Despite major savings made in the union’s expenditure between 2001 and 2005, costs associated with 2007's postal dispute stretched the union’s finances at a time when membership income is coming under intense pressure. As some of the largest employers of CWU members say that headcounts will fall in the coming months and years, Tony admitted the union’s record on recruitment needs rapid improvement.
"The only single reason that membership income went up last year is that we raised headline subscription rates on January 1," he explained. "We’re not increasing membership income by recruiting – that’s a fact," he added, stressing it is now imperative that the union sees "a return on the investment we have put into organising and recruitment".
In order to fulfil the stated aim of the CWU remaining a stand-alone union it is imperative that changes are made to ensure future viability. Directly after conference he would be writing to budget holders asking them to identify areas for savings, Tony concluded; "We have until the end of 2008 to plan a course for the survival of the CWU".
Tony stressed, however, that employers would be making a huge mistake if they assumed the CWU would not dig deep to protect members’ interest whenever necessary. "During the postal dispute the employer egged us on, took us on and we stood up and faced up to them. We were able to find every single penny that was required of us to fight that dispute … and if it comes to it again this year, we will find the money again. Let Royal Mail – or whoever else - be in no doubt that if they take us on we will do whatever is necessary to ensure we are in a position to fight on behalf of our members".
International Solidarity a Practical Necessity
The CWU is to set up a special "International Development Fund" to help ensure that workers in countries with developing economies are recruited into trade unions.
Backing the NEC proposal for a designated fund to assist in this aim, general conference delegates admitted that, as well as being right in principle, the unionisation of those in developing economies would help protect workers in all parts of the world from the risk of a "race to the bottom" inherent in an increasingly global economy.
"Whether we like it or not, off-shoring is here to stay," stressed Peter Cooper of Central London branch.
