DWP Group Conference - Day 2Day two started with the Sun shining as we set off from the hotel to the Conference hall for the last day of the DWP Group Conference. Nervous tension was high as one of the delegation, Emma Haslehurst, was due to make her maiden speech and in the first debate to boot!
Stepping out of the sunshine and into the Hall the delegation could have been forgiven for thinking that that was the last they had seen of the bright light. How wrong we were, intervening on Motion A235 on LEAN Emma's nerves disappeared and she shone! It may be possible that she will blush as much reading this as she did when she stepped down to applause from the Conference, but probably not quite as much as that...the light was shining again, but this time from Emma's face. The motion was carried unanimously.
In this section a motion, A271, on campaigning for the removal of the use of the AAT in Jobcentre Plus (remember the Work Allocation Tool?) was carried following opposition from supporters of A284 which went further and called for boycotts of the AAT. The card vote (votes counted on the basis of branches membership) was close, 40,851 in favour of A271 with 36,735 against and A271 fell.
However, the delegations work this day was not over. In the next section on Health and Safety issues Michelle Kenyon was to second two motions; A393 on Office Environment (heating) and A395 on voice care, both of which were carried. She was raring to go for three in a section when the guillotine fell on the third motion A402 on e-learning training for fire and bomb wardens.
In the Equality section motions on Equality reps, A126, and LGBT issues were carried and, after lunch in the Working Hours section, motions EM15 and A350 on flexible working were also carried. We then listened to the guest speaker from Sawt el-Amel a Palestinian Workers Union about their efforts to assist workers and unemployed people in Nazareth.
Gloria Hodkinson and Grant McClure's efforts to second motion in the section regarding Attendance Management came to nought as both motions were guillotined with only motion A305 being heard but being carried. However, the branch will have a chance to raise these issues on Friday at the National Conference (starting tomorrow).
The guillotine fell again in the next section on Union Organisation and the branch delegation were unable to get its intervention on closer working with the commercial sector (working with the membership and potential membership). In the Guillotine Section three motions that the branch had an interested in were re-introduced but only Grant McClure managed to be involved, seconding motion A97 (terms and conditions in CMEC) which was passed with Grant reminding conference and CMEC members "that their fight is our fight!"
The DWP conference ended at 5:30 but the work of the Delegation continued with an approach to the Standing Order's Committee for the National Conference for reference back on motions affecting tomorrow's debates....more of that tomorrow.
By the time the day's work ended at 8:00p.m. the delegation finally got to put their feet up.
Now where's the bar stool?
Chris Wade
