Welcome to the CWU Coventry Area Branch

Providing support to CWU Members in the Coventry Area Branch

CWU General Conference 2010 continued

Motion 56 was carried agreeing that the revelations in the media about cheap mortgages for National Officers at the apparent rate of only 0.375% caused anger amongst many CWU members.  Although conference recognised that on occasions there may be a legitimate need to assist officers with resettlement loans, there should be clear and transparent guidelines to ensure a full understanding amongst members.  Conference agreed that the Finance, Organising and Strategy Committee draw up  guidance which must adhere to the following principles:-

 

Ensure that the interest rate fixed for any mortgage is not advantageous when compared with other mortgage products on the open market that might be accessible by CWU members.  Such a rate could be set at the best mortgage product available at the time the mortgage was requested.  Ensure that such mortgages would not normally be offered when n officer is only moving home within the same town/city other than in exceptional circumstances. Ensure that the union does not lose sight of the need to ensure that a national officer may have legitimate need of a mortgage provided by the Union and that this principle be defended by the CWU.

 

The finance section was followed by the Communications Section.  Motion 96 was carried congratulating both the Postal and the Communications Departments on the initiative to use a DVD as part of the union’s campaign strategy to secure a “Yes” vote in the lead up to the Postal dispute of 2009.  Conference agreed that this approach should be used again, in any future industrial campaign that requires individual membership support .  All of the debate on this motion from both the branches and the national executive were supportive, however it was pointed out that a DVD may not always be the best method of communication and a conference delegate pointed out that more care should be taken to provide DVD’s for the hard of hearing. 

 

The Health & Safety Section followed on from Communications.  Motion 104 was carried agreeing that the arrangements for reporting near miss incidents across the industries where our members are represented are neither suitable nor sufficient, failing to effectively protect our members from potential future accidents.  Additionally some embers that currently report these incidents are found blameworthy and subject to threats of disciplinary action.  Conference calls for the NEC to enter negotiations with all employers where members  of the CWU are represented to ensure that a standardised near miss reporting procedure is introduced.  This procedure must be able to identify the systemic failures of the employer, in addition to any individual issues and ensure the involvement of CWU safety representatives within the investigation process.  Means to ensure appropriate preventative measures are put in place to prevent reoccurrence and potential injury to our members, must be in included within the procedure.  The procedure must be designed without fear of recrimination or victimisation. 

 

Motion 107 was also carried expressing conference’s disgust at the Conservative Party’s approach and plans made out in their “reducing the burden and impact of Health & Safety” to give employers the opportunity to “self police” and make their own decisions and promise to remove “excessive rules”.  Conference instructed the NEC to campaign hard to hold on to and seek improvements to all Health & Safety legislation.