The Conference proper opened with a massive amendment to standing orders. The standing orders committee merged and replaced the two first sections in their entireity. There were 42 subsequent pages of amendments.
The first major debate was on the forward and continuing strategy for the job cuts and pay campaign. The general debate included several emergency motions devised to encompass a plethora of motions submitted by many branches nationwide.
General debate was on em1, em6, em8, em12, a13 all of which covered other motions.
After much debate motion em1 was overwhelmingly carried. Em8 and em12 were both lost, a13 was subject to a felling when em1 was carried.
The afternoon started with a couple of motions on affiliations, one on the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group and the Hands Off The People of Iran Campaign (a22 and a23). Both were carried successfully, after a lively debate on the Iran motion.
A slight change in the agenda moved the guest speakers from the National Union of Teachers up to be on next. As you would guess, the speeches were were around solidarity and support on the same public service issues we face. Both speakers were well received.
Several motions on our private sector colleagues and protection of their original civil service terms and conditions were discussed and wholeheartedly supported. They were a28 and a29, they came along with a new motion a676 which the NEC asked the branch to remit due to what it perceived were some incorrect facts. The General Secretary interjected and gave a revised view of support with a couple of qualifications. The motion was carried.
A debate ensued on a34 which was to raise death benefit payable to £2,000 then increase with inflation each year. The NEC asked for opposition but promised to raise the amount by start of next year to ten times the maximum subs rate (which pretty much brought it in line with inflation from it's last raise) and then raise by inflation from then on. The Conference decided it wanted a card vote even though it appeared to be easily lost from the floor.
A two thirds majority was required for the rule change, the result being 95,579 in favour, 134,389 against, it was lost.
The next motion also necessitated a card vote, it was a35 which centred around making the branch learning coordinator an elected position in the model branch constitution. The result of the vote was 129,480 for and 85,300 against, again this was lost.
Again our motion was guillotined. Making all of them so far!
The next main debates were on victimisation of trade union reps, a43 and a44 both heard in general debate and easily carried unanimously, a matter dear to the heart of the branch reps having experienced it to a certain extent from DCS and also CSA.
There was a standing ovation when one of the aforementioned reps, eddie flemming, spoke on the motions. Eddie was sacked last year for carrying out his role as a tu rep.
The final motion of the day was a large composite authored from many other motions, encompassing them, which dealt with the consultation on organisation for the new Borders Agency with the branches that would be involved once it is set up. The motion was opposed due to the timescales within it, the opposing speaker stating that they were too short to do the job properly. As a branch we agreed with this, our thinking was that maybe a new group should be created to also include hmrc and immigration. In any case, a timescale of a decision on direction in two months was ludicrous. However, the NEC speaker swayed us taking our thoughts into account.
The motion was carried.
Our final motion of the day on campaigning against site closures through regional committees was guillotined, making it 100% of our national motions so far. Extremely unusual.
