Council received the following Motion:

 

Council notes:

The Notice of Motion and the following information provided by the Members in support of their notice of motion in accordance with Part 4 Rules of Procedure of the Council’s Constitution: 

• The Trade Union Bill 2015 is intended to give effect to the commitments in the Conservative Party’s manifesto for the 2015 General Election.  During the Queen’s Speech in May 2015 it was announced that the Government would introduce legislation to reform trade unions and to protect essential public services against strikes;
• One element of the Bill is the decision to give excessive new powers to the Certification Officer (CO), the government regulator for trade unions and employers’ association;
• The Bill is expected to provide  the CO the ability to investigate a trade union without reason The CO is also expected to receive powers to obtain detailed administrative information on industrial disputes and political expenditure;
• The Bill is also expected to tighten rules on strike action by creating minimum turnout thresholds for strike ballots to lead to industrial action. In public services, at least 40 per cent of eligible union members would need to back a strike. This has been attacked by opponents of the Bill as effectively counting some abstentions as no votes;
• Diane Abbott, shadow International Development Secretary, has commented that “the Bill was an attack on the rights of working people across the UK”;
• The Members ask that this Council oppose the introduction of the Trade Union Bill 2015.

Council believes that:

• There are real concerns about the Trade Union Bill which is currently being proposed by the UK Government and which would affect this Council’s relationship with our trade unions and our workforce as a whole.

Council resolves to:

• Oppose the introduction of the Trade Union Bill 2015;
• Write to urge the Conservative Government to abandon this Bill and make a commitment to work in partnership with the Trade Union movement to achieve a fairer society. 

 

Councillor Reeves in proposing the Motion stated that the Trade Union Movement is the largest voluntary group in the UK.  The Bill requires any ballot on strike action to have a turnout of at least 50% and then a 50% majority in favour for it to be valid, for what are designated ‘important public services’ the rules would be even more draconian, 80% of those entitled to vote would have to vote for industrial action, however the request from unions for online voting has been rejected.  Councillor Reeves stated that this was from a Government that was elected by a simple majority for each seat.  She believed that the Bill is an attack on civil liberties, attacking the democratic right to protest, with Picketing supervisors and plans including social media having to be declared in advance.  Employer would have to be informed 2 weeks in advance of any action to be taken, such as strike action, or even if a union intended to post anything on Facebook, or carry a loudhailer or banner.  The proposed Trade Union Bill has been compared to ‘like something from a Franco-style dictatorship’ by a Tory MP.  The bill also includes the withdrawal of checkoff, the payment of union subs from salary.  She stated that the PCS union having to devote resources having to be used on Direct Debit campaigns instead of proper union work, protecting and promoting the rights of workers.

 

She stated that political funds were also under attack, with an opt-in rather than opt-out as is currently in place, which will attack the funding of political campaigns and political parties.  Added to this is the threat of substantial fines of up to £20,000 at every stage. 

The withdrawal of labour, the right to strike, is a basic human right, which any union considers to be a last resort, this bill is an attack on this basic right, it will pitch worker against worker by allowing agency workers to be brought in as strike-breakers. It attacks the rights of ordinary workers across the country and puts the interests of big business ahead of the employee. This is at a time when strike action is at an all-time low. 

Councillor Reeves urged Council support the motion. 

In seconding the Motion, Councillor Spanswick stated that looking back over the past 5 years it had becoming increasingly worrying to see how pay and in-work benefits have been attacked by those in power, with people’s attitudes being influenced by the press and thus making people less tolerant of one another.  In the last parliament the Liberal Democrats supported the Conservatives’ introduction of the bedroom tax, the abandoning of the Independent Living Fund for disabled people, the introduction of the £1,200 tribunal charges and an increase to two years before workers get employment protection.  He stated that these are a few examples of people being worse off now than before the coalition government came to power in 2010.

Councillor Spanswick informed Council that the proposals the subject of the Motion were all-out attack on trade unions and workers’ rights with the proposed Trade Union Bill.  The Bill aims to stop trade unions from acting collectively and influencing political decision making.  It will make it almost impossible to strike by placing unreasonable thresholds on ballots, which do not apply to the election of M.P.’s

He stated that the Bill proposed to cut facility time for workplace reps in the public sector and to remove ‘check off’ facilities whereby the union membership fee is deducted directly from an employees pay.  There is a penalty or fine of £42,000 for having more than seven pickets or for not wearing an official armband on a picket line.  This all amounted to an attack upon the only organisation able to protect workers in the workplace, and to stop them from funding the Labour Party.  He stated that this was a blatant attempt to take away all opposition to the removal of rights of hard won trade unionists of the past century.

Councillor Spanswick stated that if implemented this new law would take away any incentive for the employer to reach agreements with their workforce or the unions that represent them, and gives employers powers such as the right to hire agency workers to replace workers who are on strike and was totally unacceptable in the 21^st century.

Councillor Spanswick stated that it was now time for trade unionists and the British public to open their eyes and to fight back on proposals which are an attack on living in a tolerant society.  He requested that Council urge the Government to abandon this Bill and make a commitment to work in partnership with the Trade Union movement to achieve a fairer society.

Councillor R L Thomas informed Council that he was pleased to support the Motion and stated that the Bill placed great emphasis on unions securing large percentage turnouts to call strikes and the rejection by the Government of online voting for industrial action.  He stated that the proposals represent an attack on workplace protestations which could lead to links being lost to workers and human rights.  He wholeheartedly supported the Notice of Motion.

Councillor Watts in proposing an amendment stated that the Bill was about protecting essential public services against strikes and also about preventing the minority holding the majority of employees to ransom in calling industrial action thereby disrupting public services.  He also stated that there are greater numbers of working people are not union members.  He questioned how this Council’s relationship with union would be affected.

Councillor Watts proposed an amendment that the first bullet point in the proposed resolution be deleted “Oppose the introduction of the Trade Union Bill 2015” and that this Council resolves to “Write to the Conservative Government to make a commitment to work in partnership with the Trade Union movement to achieve a fair society”. 

Councillor Clarke seconded the amendment.     

A recorded Vote was taken at this point in the meeting, as a request had been made, which was duly seconded, to receive recorded votes on the Notice of Motion and the amendment to the Notice of Motion.

The recorded vote was as follows:

FOR                            Against                       Abstain           Did Not Vote

 

Councillor                    Councillor                    Councillor        Councillor

 

R Young

CJ James                                                                                                      

M Thomas                                                                                          

DK Edwards                                                                             

AD Owen

R Williams                                            

JR McCarthy

DBF White

N Farr

RM James

DG Owen

DR Pugh

DRW Lewis

JE Lewis

P James

EM Hughes

G Phillips

GW Davies MBE

HE Morgan

PA Davies

EP Foley

E Dodd

S Aspey

G Davies

M Jones

C Westwood

M Reeves

R Thomas

C Reeves

JC Spanswick

LC Morgan

N Clarke

KJ Watts

PJ White

HJ Townsend

HJ David

MEJ Nott OBE

M Gregory

CE Smith

HM Williams

32                                0                                  0                    0

 

A vote was taken on the amendment to the Notion of Motion proposed by Councillor KJ Watts and seconded by Councillor N Clarke.

The vote was as follows:

FOR                            Against                       Abstain           Did Not Vote  

Councillor                    Councillor                    Councillor        Councillor

G Davies                     R Young                      DG Owen        

N Clarke                      M Thomas                   S Aspey        

KJ Watts                     DK Edwards                                         

                                    R Williams                                            

                                    JR McCarthy

                                    DR Pugh

                                    DRW Lewis

                                    JE Lewis

                                    EM Hughes

                                    G Phillips

                                    GW Davies MBE

                                    HE Morgan

                                    PA Davies

                                    EP Foley

                                    E Dodd

                                    M Jones

                                    C Westwood

                                    M Reeves      

                                    RL Thomas

                                    C Reeves       

                                    JC Spanswick

                                    LC Morgan

                                    PJ White

                                    HJ Townsend

                                    HJ David

                                    MEJ Nott OBE

                                    M Gregory

                                    CE Smith

                                    HM Williams

3                                 29                                  2                    0

As a result of the vote the amendment to the Notice of Motion failed. 

Councillor C Reeves was given the right of reply as the proposer of the Notice of Motion stating that employees taking industrial action is the ultimate sanction and that the culture of Trade Unions had changed a great deal from the past.   

A vote was taken on the Notice of Motion proposed by Councillor C Reeves and seconded by Councillor JC Spanswick.

The vote was as follows:

FOR                            Against                       Abstain           Did Not Vote  

Councillor                    Councillor                    Councillor        Councillor

R Young                      G Davies                    DG Owen         N Clarke

M Thomas                   KJ Watts                    S Aspey

DK Edwards

R Williams

JR McCarthy

DR Pugh

DRW Lewis

EM Hughes

G Phillips

GW Davies MBE

HE Morgan

PA Davies

EP Foley

E Dodd

M Jones

C Westwood

M Reeves

RL Thomas

C Reeves

JC Spanswick

LC Morgan

PJ White

HJ Townsend

HJ David

MEJ Nott OBE

M Gregory

CE Smith

HM Williams

29                                 2                                  2                    1

As a result of the vote the Notice of Motion was carried. 

RESOLVED:               That Council:

·         Oppose the introduction of the Trade Union Bill 2015;

·         Write to urge the Conservative Government to abandon this Bill and make a commitment to work in partnership with the Trade Union movement to achieve a fairer society.