EC Meeting July 2022

EC Meeting

Friday 8 th July 2022 2-4pm Radisson Blu Hotel Durham and Zoom

General Federation of Trade Unions

Executive Committee

July 2022

AGENDA.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Welcomes Apologies

Declaration of any other business.

Minutes of the previous meeting, corrections, approval, matters arising.

Pressing Issues for Affiliates.

Finances. Overview.

Annual Accounts.

Employers ’ Covenant. 10 A New Deal for Workers and their communities. 11 General Secretary’s Report. 12 Any Other Business.

EC Minutes 11 th May 2022

General Federation of Trade Unions

Executive Committee Minutes

11th May 2022

11am Via Zoom

In attendance: Doug Nicholls, (General Sec) Claire Ryan, (Minute Taker), John McGowan, Helen Osgood, Juliet Lyons, Oshor Williams, Steven McGurk, Garry Elliott, Chris Morgan, Claire Jones, Marcia Lawrence-Russell, Helen Osgood, Paul Day, Andrea Anita Kocsondi.

Guests: Lord John Hendy Ben Sellers

Apologies:

Roy Rickhuss (President) Sarah Woolley (Vice President) Keith Johnston, Manuel Cortes, Gemma Southgate, Simon Parkinson, Aneesa Ahmed, Brian Linn, David Beaumont, Ian Lawrence, Zita Holbourne, Steve Gillan, Paul Donaldson, Dave Ward, Julia Georgiou, Julian Risso. Paperwork circulated for the meeting: Agenda, Minutes of Previous Meeting, General Secretar y’s Report, YMDW Agenda, Kurdish Proposal, Imrali Report, Economics Seminar Leaflet.

1. Welcome

Doug Nicholls welcomed EC members to today’s meeting , due to absences it was proposed that Oshor Wlliams chair today’s meeting. EC members agreed.

2. Apologies

As above.

3. Declaration of Any Other Business.

Doug Nicholls - TUC Rally June 18 th 2022 in London.

John McGowan – Future International trips.

Juliet Lyons will be stepping down as General Secretary of PCU 21 st May at their AGM, however intends to continue as an Executive Committee Member.

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EC Minutes 11 th May 2022

4. Welcome to new affiliate Equal Justice The Union.

Marcia Lawrence – Russell gave thanks for accepting the affiliation and was very pleased to become part of the federation to help and support each other.

‘Equal Justice The Union’ is the correct full name of the new small union which currently has just over 200 members and represents discrimination group covered under the Equality ACT 2010. (Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sex). The union formally started July 2019 and members were slowing rising. The union were all home based workers however an office space was available for meetings if necessary. Marcia Lawrence - Russell offered her assistance and support to other unions if needed on any particular cases.

EC members warmly welcomed the union to the federation.

5. Urgent Industrial Issues from Affiliates seeking support.

Juliet Lyons (PCU) reported that member engagement was proving difficult and getting members into leadership roles. No new members has joined their EC this year. They were currently in the process of organising into regional groups to hopefully help with this. The current conversion therapy bill going through parliament was looking like the ban would be successful which the union fully supported however this ban did not include trans which they were pushing to be included. There were also a number of training difficulties for members and a support group was also currently being set up. Steven McGurk (Community) reported that the obvious campaigns within the steel industry continued as usual. There was a major issue yesterday that could potentially put a lot of jobs at risk however further details were currently being awaited on this before details could be reported on. John McGowan (SWU) reported that media reports on child deaths continued to put pressure on the social worker profession. Press regulators were currently involved. Membership numbers continued to rise however the battle of recognition continued. There was a continued lack of support and funding for authorities within the social work profession.

Claire Jones (SUE) welcomed the new affiliate, Marcia Russell Lawrence to the federation. There were no major issues within SUE to raise today.

Helen Osgood (VOICE) reported on the continued issues with pay for England and wales school teachers. 10% preparation time should be included however due to increased workloads and increased stress levels it was felt 20% was needed. The union would continue to push the charter that was currently in place to assist members who were unaware of its existence. Experienced teachers were not being offered any reward despite the extra preparation time and stress due to workloads and the extra pressure for them mentoring new teachers.

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EC Minutes 11 th May 2022

Chris Morgan (WEA) reported that they were largest independent provider of adult education within England and Scotland. The WEA was founded in 1903. They faced concerns within the constant changes within adult education and were currently focussing on t he government’s new multi plying programme for adults in work.

WEA have launched a new working rights and qualification programme and this was providing very popular so this would continue to develop and grow.

Oshor Williams (PFA) reported that changes within internal staff were happening to assist members better. The PFA had begun a major consultation exercise to provide a clearer understanding of the number of former professional players living with neurogenerative diseases such as dementia possibly relating to repetitive head injuries after research. Garry Elliott (Nautilus Int) reported there was a lot of current industry action with both public and private industries. The union had been hit badly by the Ukrainian and Russian war due to sea farers working in those areas. So far 1.6million had been recouped in unpaid wages for members on those ships. On the 17 th March POA dismissed 800 sea farers with no notice or consultation and Nautilst Int were working with RMT to assist members with the unfair dismissal cases. Large numbers of members were being forced out of work due to the low pay being offered to agencies of £1.80 per hour to Philippines crews. Major campaigns across ports were continuing on a daily basis. There were eight hundred British employees made redundant however no Dutch employees. Paul Day (PDA) reported that large pharmacy chains such as Boots and Lloyds that despite taking tax payers money were struggling to appoint staff. Locums are charging such high rates that they are now closing pharmacists. This was having a huge impact on patients obtaining their medicines and health care services being majorly affected. Another issue the union faced was that the third largest employer ‘Well Pharmacy’ one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains has confirmed that they will allow staff to continue to work and serve customers despite testing positive with Covid 19. This has the potential to expose vulnerable patients and staff to the risk of infection.

The PDA continued their campaign to promote and work with various continental pharmacists union partners to get medicines to Ukraine.

6. Lord John Hendy – current work to improve workers’ employment rights and legislation.

Doug Nicholls welcomed Lord John Hendy and Ben Sellers to today’s meeting.

Ben Sellers gave thanks for the invitation to today’s meeting and looked forward to working with the GFTU and welcomed the viewing of articles on the IER website.

Lord John Hendy gave thanks for today’s invitation and reported he had been a QC since 1987 and specialised in trade union and employment law. He was also chair of IER established 32 years ago and an UCL honouree professor.

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EC Minutes 11 th May 2022

Lord John Hendy was appointed by Jeremy Corbyn to the House of Lords in 2019.

Lord John Hendy gave a background of his work and experience within the labour law and workers’ rights and how being a member of the House of Lords worked with regards to bills / questions in the House of Commons.

The GFTU strongly support the IER manifesto.

Asked for support and communications in trade disputes and bills from the unions within the federation.

It was suggested that the GFTU / Affiliates make communication with the Trade union coordinating group.

Lord John Hendy suggested that he returned to speak further on the cost of living increase crisis at the next EC meeting.

EC members agreed.

It was suggested to contact Ben Sellers to obtain any blogs for sharing within unions. Most articles were also available in the Morning Star.

The link to Lord John Hendy’s blog was circulated within the zoom chat.

https://www.ier.org.uk/blog-author/john-hendy-qc/

Garry Elliott discussed the current POA situation that his union Nautilus were involved with and the significant differences between the Netherlands and British employment rights.

Doug Nicholls wanted awareness of the history of the movement to be raised. Training courses with WEA had been arranged and online economics seminars were being offered June 2022. The service Emplaw was also offered which offers great information around employment law.

Doug Nicholls suggested collectively working together.

12.26pm Lord John Hendy left the meeting and a ten minute screen break was taken by all attendees. Meeting to reconvene at 12.40pm.

7. Minutes of Previous Meeting, Approval, Matters arising.

Helen Osgood correction to surname spelling.

Juliet Lyons PCU correction to name of campaign: Signal for Help Campaign.

Doug Nicholls discussed the change of the GFTU status and explained this change was covered by professional indemnity. Clarification of the status had been discussed with Paul Scholey of Morrish Solicitors and the accountants, a scoping paper had been received today. This would be forwarded to the President and Vice President initially and then on to the EC to discuss further the future proposals.

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EC Minutes 11 th May 2022

Minutes were adopted as a true and accurate record.

8. General Secretary’s Report.

Doug Nicholls was pleased to report that productive monthly meetings were being held by community and organisations.

Doug Nicholls and a colleague from Community were addressed at the Scottish Social Enterprise network in April and this was a very positive exchange with much common ground with organisations being found and a real interest by community organisations in working with trade unions more.

The book on this area of work was advancing well with several chapters already complete.

The Co Op society also joined this meeting and their contribution on community profiling was very well received. It is a useful tool for trade unionists also.

One organisation had requested affiliation however this would be explored following the GFTU status and any rule changes that may be necessary.

A special performance by the artists who made the Working River CD was given at the London Docklands museum and over 200 people attended.

Yes yes USC was also a successful event at Quorn.

John McGowan shared that the high cost of a particular course had been off putting. Doug Nicholls explained that some courses were free however not all, including some leadership courses, costing would be looked at again in the future.

Doug Nicholls proposed to continue to support international visits.

A full report of the Imrali visit would be circulated to EC members once finalised.

8. Any other Business.

Doug Nicholls had been in discussions with Dave Ward CWU and encouraged the promotion and attendance of affiliates standing together for the campaign around A new deal for workers. We deserve better enough is enough.

The TUC have agreed to the event which would take place in London June 18 th in London. TUC Rally June 18 th 2022 in London.

CWU were currently processing balloting on pay along with several other unions.

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EC Minutes 11 th May 2022

John McGowan raised the possibility of further consideration being given to International Visits. Doug Nicholls explained that this was historically supported by GFTU however due to Covid and finances this had been on hold. It was agree this would be discussed and explored further at the next EC meeting/Novembers EC meeting.

Meeting closed at 2.07pm

6

Financial Information (Please click below)

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Annual Accounts (Please click below)

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GFTU is offering a new round of free training opportunities to bring new life to our commitments to engaging with all of our members, opposing all forms of discrimination and building strong, inclusive organisations. Our first event is face-to-face high level workshop is for Union Leaders with a strategic role in equalities and anti-oppressive practice. It will challenge and push our work forward and discuss some of the most innovative and useful approaches. This will be held on Monday 5 th September at Quorn Grange Hotel, 86 Wood Lane, Quorn, Leicestershire, LE12 8DB. Please complete the booking form, found on our website, and return it to Mark Robinson via markr@gftu.org.uk by Monday 22 nd August. Three evening online seminars will then follow to cascade the strategic approach down into the unions and their branches. This will be suitable for Branch Officers and activists and develop some new thinking. These will take place on September 8th 7-9pm , September 22nd 7-9pm and October 6th 7-9pm . All of these learning and development opportunities will be facilitated by Jason Lee and Oshor Williams, both former top flight footballers and leading trade unionists who have developed a new curriculum for these courses based on years of work in this area. For queries, please contact Education Administrator, Mark Robinson on 01509410978 / markr@gftu.org.uk.

J ASON L EE

O SHOR W ILLIAMS

GFTU National Office, 86 Wood Lane, Quorn, Loughborough, LE12 8DB | Tel: 01509410970 | W: gftu.org.uk

The Young Members’ Development Weekend is back this November from Friday 11th to Sunday 13 th 2022 at GFTU’s own Quorn Grange Hotel. Established over many years, this is really one of the best Labour Movement events. Engaging, challenging, fun, an inspiring weekend to make new friends, learn about the Movement and develop skills to organise and build your union. The style of the event is learning from each other and sharing experiences. Participants will also hear from leading trade unionists about their work in Britain and overseas. Every year it's been a game changer for those involved and many new leaders have come forward following this motivational experience.

“ The Young Members’ Development Weekend does exactly what it says on the tin and is the only event like it in our movement. ”

“ I still remember how great it was to be spending a weekend with other young trade unionists learning about the movement, politics, economics, international issues and employment rights amongst many other areas, it was my first experience of a trade union event that didn’t just involve motions.”

For an application form, visit the GFTU website and return it to Mark Robinson via markr@gftu.org.uk by 12 noon on Friday 28 th October 2022.

86 Wood Lane, Quorn, Loughborough, LE12 8DB | 01509410970 | gftu.org.uk

TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION IS FREE TO MEMBERS OF AFFILIATED UNIONS.

11-13th November 2022

Introduction to GFTU History.

The publisher’s decision to reissue this important book about the little known, but highly influential work of the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) is a welcome one and very timely. Trade unions are on the rise again the GFTU is playing a central role in this rebirth. Understanding its origin and history is therefore very useful and Alice Procha ska’s work is the only published source for this. Based on the GFTU’s own archives and numerous interviews with o fficials of the affiliates in the 1970s, she portrays the origins and continuing ethos of the Federation in the early drive for an inclusive solidarity among unions, and not just solidarity within large unions with financial power. So much of our history can be hidden. The GFTU itself has always been very modest and just got on with the job of practical assistance to unions and their members, transforming lives for the better but unacknowledged by the mainstream media. By the time I was elected as General Secretary of the Community and Youth Workers’ Union (CYWU) in 1987, I had not heard of the GFTU. A friend pointed out the GFTU to me and it seemed ideal even in those days when you couldn’t do a google search. So the CYWU applied for affiliation in 1991. Our first application was rejected. It was not clear why, but there were still in the GFTU then only manual industrial unions in membership and there was a sense that recruiting a non-industrial union might not be appropriate. The distinction, which I always thought was unhelpful, between blue and white collar workers, was still alive at the GFTU. The GFTU rightly highly prized the social value of manual labour. However, none of the unions around the GFTU Executive Committee table in 1991 exist today as independent unions. Several of those around the table today have been formed in the last 10 years. Things change. Two years after CYWU’s unsuccessful application to join, its affiliation was accepted, and this was indicative of an inevitable new chapter in the GFTU’ s development. The wilful destruction of British manufacturing saw the demise of many of the crafts and skills which had generated the unions that led the GFTU for decades and the organisation would have disappeared if it had retained only industrial affiliates. When I was elected to the GFTU Executive in 1995 I could instantly feel the deep tradition of many of the unions present. Some in their style, manner, concerns and lineage went right back to before the full Industrial Revolution. Some had highly technically specific names relating to the jobs their members did and on international delegations these tested the abilities of our translators. Most knew everything about their industry and controlled the skills required to run that industry and produce what it made. There was a huge pride in contributing to the making of the nation. It was the long legacy of such unions that had among many other things, through the GFTU, formed an internal welfare state for members helping them and their families in times of need. The GFTU was the first international arm of British trade unionism. It built a huge building to be a centre of campaigning activity, Central House, opposite Euston station in London, it helped form the Labour Party, fought for returning soldiers’ rights and payments after both world wars, campaigned successfully for the formation of the national Welfare State and National Health Service, helped extend collective bargaining by the end of the 1970s to over 80% of workplaces and continually lobbied for progressive changes in Labour law and the introduction of the Employment Tribunals system and the need for a National Minimum Wage, and many things besides. Of course manual workers and skilled engineers and others across industry campaigned tirelessly for health and safety improvements and I am always struck by the fact that when the Health and Safety At Work Act was eventually introduced in 1974, industrial accidents and fatalities were reduced by a

staggering 80% over the following year. This reminds us just how dangerous factories and work sites really were. Learning from the unions at the GFTU with their solid and steady way of doing things, their careful and considered approach to big questions was a real honour. I have always found that workers engaged in making things and solving practical problems in productive processes have a strong way of building their organisations and the prospering and the survival of the GFTU itself is a testament to this. It is a bit like the hand-made street furniture, engines, ships, even hand tools and machines of the Victorian and later industrial periods, they just keep going and were made to last. Naturally some industrial unions had a playful spirit. One GFTU President who I respected greatly was a man of few words, but those he uttered fell as certainly as molten metal into a perfect mould. He set himself the challenge of conducting the shortest Executive Committee meeting ever and was proud as punch when he clocked it in at 17 seconds. This didn’t mean anything was neglected. One entertaining approach he made to a potential funding crisis was to suggest, successfully, that as well as investing GFTU funds in the fickle roll of the dice of the money markets, the Executive members should take joint shares in a racing greyhound. Thorgill Twizzelena the Second’s results unfortunately turned out to be no more successful than the financiers who have brought the world to crisis after crisis, but she provided much more light relief. Reprinting the history of the GFTU at this point reminds us of something very significant about the British trade union movement. Setting aside the underestimated impact of its uniquely long roots way before the Industrial Revolution in the organisation of skilled workers, and setting aside the essential role it played in pushing for the universal franchise in a 134 year long struggle, and setting aside its role in creating alternative models of workers’ democracy and the rule of the majority, the 5,400 or so trade unions that have been recorded in British history have been specific organisations built around particular trades and usually relatively small in size. General trade unionism, though in recent years attracting relatively high numbers of workers, is the exception rather than the rule. There have only been about 7 of them. Most unions build vertically from the common identity of a particular occupation. Amalgamations have taken place as a result usually of changes and reductions to an occupation which have affected union finances or ability to succession plan. The idea that big is beautiful or that small is beautiful is not quite right. What is important is that a union genuinely represents its members and enables them to have more collective power in the workplace. The largest union in the country is ultimately only as good as its worst Branch. A key virtue of British trade unionism, that is organising together whatever your beliefs or personal characteristics, to stop exploitation and oppression where you work and improve the terms and conditions of others like you, is precisely that you do not organise around your religious, political or rac ial aspects. How divided workers’ movements are in countries where trade union centres are based on such things! The early settlement on this issue in Britain was an important one. The TUC, which first established the GFTU, would be the main centre, and the GFTU would continually and consistently assist new unions to come into being, support well established ones and constantly innovate new services and ideas to take the whole Movement forward, and ensure internationalism and contacts were widely spread. Regardless of size, each GFTU affiliate has one vote on the Executive Committee.

Alice Prochae ska’s wonderful first study of this great organisation will be full of surprises for the contemporary reader and stimulate further enquiry.

General Secretary’s Report

Proposals for EC consideration appear in boldface.

July 2022.

1

Finances

1.1

Summary

2020’ s £300k loss at the hotel was transformed into a £200k profit last year and prospects for this year look good. We are on target for our £250k surplus. Housing remains fully occupied and rental revenues strong. We have to decide on the strength of our GFTU employers’ covenant for the pension scheme. We are in continuing discussion with a company called Stoneport about the prospects of moving our pension scheme into a consolidator and thereby reducing significantly our admin costs. The triennial pensions valuation is underway. The initial assumptions will have to be considered carefully. The investment strategy too.

All investment portfolios, the two from GFTU and the one from the pension scheme, have significantly dipped in value (around 10%) as a result of the current economic situation.

A ransom ware cyber-attack created substantial difficulties for us and a claim is being pursued against our ICT Provider. All ICT work is now completely moved to the cloud. A new CRM system has been installed.

Full management accounts and budgets are available along with notes of F&GP meetings.

Strategically the GFTU has to settle on a new status for itself as an organisation and to reduce costs on the pension scheme.

1.2

Pension scheme

A meeting has been arranged with PCS to discuss them leaving the scheme.

The pension scheme accounts, attached for information, have been approved.

The Trustees have now written to a range of pensions legal advisors with trade union experience to invite them to tender for our legal support work when Ivan Walker retires.

Training has been provided to Fiona on the pension scheme.

Ongoing discussions are being held with Stoneport about pensions consolidation.

The main task for this EC is to take a view on the strength of the GFTU covenant.

The Pension Trustees accepted in 2018 that our Covenant was strong. Because of the structure of the GFTU and its related group intercompany transactions, the situation is not entirely straightforward.

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AS I am a Trustees of the Scheme and three other EC members are Trustees it Is appropriate to request an independent covenant assessment and to ask Fiona and Preeti in the office to manage this work. The notes below are I hope just by way of background. As a stand alone body, the GFTU employer is dependent on subscription income and other income from win win services. It has two investment portfolios which have recently declined in value due to the economic situation. The GFTU Has lent money to the Educational Trust which owns the land and building of the Quorn site. The loan to the Educational Trust of some £7m could theoretically be reclaimed, although we have declared that we will not do so in 2022 as this would obviously collapse the Trust and require it to sell its property. Our lack of ownership of property also means that it is not possible to put a charge over assets to strengthen our covenant, although we could consider arranging something with the Trust to this effect, this would require a legal deed, and could for example be a charge over the offices or the houses, meaning if the GFTU as an employer needed to liquidate assets to support the pension scheme it could sell one of these properties. The GFTU itself does not own assets so would have to have an arrangement with the Trust, which as a charity it may not be in a position to actually make. So to convince the pension scheme Trustees, and by default the pensions regulator as to the nature of its covenant the following factors have to be born in mind perhaps. The GFTU has raised its subscription fees and retained affiliates and recruited new ones. The massively improved performance of the hotel and safely predicted future business mean that the loans paid to the hotel in 2020 have been repaid and that regular repayments of other previous loans are being paid back. The provision of services to affiliates creates a steady and potentially increasing flow of income. One new service for example should generate around £31k over the next year. There is a general rebirth of trade unionism taking place and the GFTU Is recognised as an important part of this and this should put it in good stead for growth. The Education Trust hs now more serious prospects of raising additional funds and this in turn would ease financial pressure on the GFTU going forward. The overall security of all of the GFTU Interests, except for the current performance of the investment portfolios, is, it seems to me, stronger that at the time of the last covenant.

1.3

Annual Accounts

See attached.

2

Education

2.1

This has been an important and positive period.

We have been functioning without a national education officer for a number of years now. I propose that we ask the F&GP to bring back proposals concerning this.

2.2

Working Class History

Our joint courses with the WEA have engaged nearly 300 people in fascinating workshops on aspects of our history. Discussions will be held concerning future prospects. A big thank you to the excellent facilitators who gave their time to the GFTU gratis.

2.3

Economics Seminars

A total of 350 people signed up for our first three seminars. AS with all online events fewer actually turned up on the day. But we have retained recordings for wider use.

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Organised jointly with ERENSEP and SOAS University of London these were regarded as excellent.

Just as history has been stripped out of trade union education, so has economics and it is time to restore it. SOAS are interested in working on some funding beids with us to organise two face to face conferences which could deepen the economic debate and help unions formulate new policies and produce some publications. I strongly suggest we explore this. Thanks to Oshor Williams and Jason Lee of the PFA, we are offering strategic level EDI training and follow on training for local reps. The Education Officers network requested that I produce a paper on offering some bite size training, learn at lunchtime kind of events and I think this potentially has a lot of mileage and could enable us to be more inclusive and flexible. I will draft proposals for September. If there are any suggestions please contact me directly. 2.4 New offers

2.5

Our new reps training course

As reported previously we have revised our new reps training and I was pleased to note that our recent roll out of this with 14 students received a very positive feedback. This course will be further improved and repeated and we will customise copies of the Labour Research Law at Work book to distribute.

2.6

CCISUA

The GFTU provided a very well received training programme for the leaderships of the different affiliated unions to CCISUA, the umbrella union in the United Nations. This is being followed up by a number of online sessions.

2.7

The Bigger Picture.

I am proposing to run to evening seminars on wider geopolitical issues that are of interest to trade unionists and which can stimulate some challenging debate. I would like to run the first two on firstly the state of the US at home and in the world, and what is really happening in China. These would be online and of no cost.

2.8

Education Officers ’ network.

This is always a great forum for debate. 15 officers attended the last discussions. Ideas that we will pursue were raised and practical support given.

2.9

ASLEF

We have organised reps and equalities training for ASLEF all at non-affiliated costs.

2.10

Unions using Quorn this year.

Thanks to a number of unions for using Quorn for their events: NAHT, URTU, ASLEF, Community, Bakers, CSP come to mind.

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2.11 Piston Pen and Press.

We are partners to this brilliant project celebrating and collecting the writings of industrial working class authors from the nineteenth century. They are keen to hold a project conference at Quorn. See: https://www.pistonpenandpress.org/

3

International

3.1 At last a progressive President elected in Colombia, let us hope that this stops the slaughter of trade unionists and the general population. 3.2 It was interesting to me that a progressive alliance brought Petro to power and similarly the excellent results for Melachon in France were as a result of a broad coalition. Melachon’s platform is worth having a look at. We have participated in two recent delegations and I have spoken at two online meetings. A harrowing report on the use of chemical weapons against the Kurds has been produced by Steve Sweeney. See attached. The Kurds also claim now that small tactical nuclear weapons have been used against them. 16 more journalists have been imprisoned. It appears that Turkey is becoming increasingly violent and out of control. It releases ISIS prisoners and sets them loose on the Kurdish people. We have undertaken to support a plan of action to write to all MPs, AMs, MSPs, Council leaders and opposition leaders asking them to take note of the issues. 3.3 Kurds. Turkey.

I lent our support also to the letter to the Turkish Ambassador in London from various trade unions.

3.4

Grenada.

I lent the GFTU logo in support of a British trade union letter encouraging the National Democratic Congress in Grenada in the recent elections, which I am pleased to say it won and we have received letters of thanks from Grenadian colleagues in Britain. Decades of rule by the conservative party there are now at an end.

4

Support for affiliates

Over this period I have been able to attend the national conferences of three affiliates and address two of them. It is always motivational to witness the excellent work of affiliates.

5

General Secretaries ’ Meeting.

The support meeting for General Secretaries was well attended with 12 in attendance as usual a good discussion with mutual support given. It was nice to see Marcia from our new affiliation present.

6

Hotel

6.1 A number of long standing staff have left to go to pastures new or begin their families and we have wished them a fond farewell. New staff teams are being created in all departments despite the most extraordinary recruitment difficulties within the current hospitality market.

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6.2 The Hotel Directors have met regularly to remain on top of developments and assist management in raising standards.

6.3 Hotel Accounts have been approved by the Directors. These are attached for reference.

6.4

Business forecasts remain positive.

6.5 A letter has been sent to 70 or so agricultural colleges to see if anyone might be interested in assisting us to create a garden project to supply vegetables for the hotel and perhaps an educational project. A meeting with our project manager and potential architect has been held. 6.6 A meeting has been held with the project manager to consider the position of the £104k retention figure which will only be paid to the contractor once all work is complete. 6.7 Our lawyers have submitted a good response to Royal Sun Alliance in relation to our insurance claim and have strongly rebutted all of the points made by RSA. We intend to hasten RSA’s response to us and pursue this rigorously. 6.8 Inevitably cost increases are absolutely shocking and we are having to look at every area of income and expenditure and our own costing policies at the hotel. 6.9 The Unions using the hotel this year are: ASLEF BFAWU COMMUNITY COPOD CSP FBU GMB HCSA NAHT NAPO NEU (provisional) NHBC PDA POA TSSA UNISON UNITE URTU The Co operative Society are also booked in. I think we can be proud of this list and thank the unions concerned. 7.1 Thanks to the good offices of Aegis the union which is based in Scotland we were able to work with a Scottish government funded body Social Enterprise Scotland to draw down funds to enable them to prepare materials for the appointment of a development officer with the Trust. They will also work on future funding strategies. 7.2 Margaret Bennett a Trustee is an experienced accountant and has provided training for the Trustees on accounts. 7.3 I pursued our long outstanding complaint to the Financial Services Ombudsman to get a return of our £93 from Lloyds bank deposited there in a cyber-crime. The response was astounding. Cutting a long story short they apologised for failing to tell us four years ago that they could not deal with our claim as our charity is too big. They referred us to the Business Banking Resolution Service. Fortunately we are not out of time and our claim has been fully submitted and acknowledged by the BBRS. I will continue to pursue this. Every autumn we undertake a review of all of our organisational procedures and policies. Responsibility for this has fallen in the past to the F&GP. The disadvantage of this is that not all EC members may be aware of our policies which is not an ideal situation for a governing body . I suggest therefore that I forward our main policies to all EC members, invite amendments and comment and the F&GP considers these and brings proposals to the November EC. 8 Internal organisation and reviews. 7 Education Trust.

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9

Staff training.

Various training offers have been taken up within the hotel and GFTU.

Coaching support has been organising for our Head of Finance.

10

Re-publication.

10.1 I am pleased to say Routledge have decided to re publish Dr Alic Procheska’s book on the history of the GFTU up to 1980. I think this is well times. 10.2 Royalties will go to the Educational Trust, there will be a discount on sales for GFTU affiliates and I have done a new introduction to the book.

11

A New Deal for Workers.

Taking the campaigning forwards.

June 18 th was a great start. It represented a very important moment in my view in turning the tide. We have to tip the balance back in favour of workers. Unions are central to this and their high profile in defending pay and jobs will be critical. The importance of our economics work is that it enables us to think more about not just responses to the scale of the crisis, but alternative economic strategies. We have done the right thing on this. Also, in bringing new workers into the movement, we have the best young members development weekend in the movement. We should continue our history work because the new generations need to be inspired by the great role our predecessors had in creating rights and democracy and improvements to society and the economy. There is still a job to be done in bringing more unions into the wider family. There are many good unions not in the TUC or GFTU and the GFTU Is ideally placed to help develop these and create greater solidarity between workers’ organisations. Our work on linking with the community has been pioneering and now should be consolidated by a major national conference to launch our book. Winning pay rises does not cause inflation and also does not stop the causes of inflation so we have to equip ourselves with new policies to transform the economy. We should declare the neoliberal period over and recognise as our forebears in the post War period did, that public ownership and planning, the very things that got us through the pandemic, national collective bargaining, solidarity between workplace and community, investment of the wealth of the country in the country and the prevention of the flight of capital, are essential components going forward. We should consider producing a background paper for unions on why pay rises do not cause inflation, the argument that they do has been prevalent for 50 years and needs to be effectively countered. The strength and weakness of trade unions is that they take a pragmatic approach. We deal with immediate problems and have a realistic approach. But this insufficient now. We now need to stand together more unitedly to oppose those policies that undermine us all. We need price controls, we need investment in the productive economy, we need a return of exchange controls on capital flows, we need a completely new approach to government financing and management of the national debt.

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12

Other

12.1

I have written articles on various topics over this period.

12.2 I attended picket lines to support the RMT strikes locally. The mood was good, the public support good. The media presence of the RMT with Mick Lynch and Eddie Dempsey has been strong and effective in my view. I have sent GFTU solidarity to Mick Lynch and Eddie Dempsey who have been doing brilliant press work and TV Interviews for this strike gaining huge public support. 12.3 I had an extremely positive meeting with Ian Waddell, a former GFTU BGCM delegate, who is now General Secretary of the Confederation of Shipbuilding Unions and Secretary of the Alex Ferry Foundation. I knew Alex well. Ian and I intend to continue positive discussions. 12.4 The decision to extradite Julian Assange is in my view extremely serious. The trade union movement has a long history of campaigning for press freedom and this act blatantly seeks to further torture and punish someone who published exposes of the terrible machinations of many US backed interventions and other matters. 12.5 We received a fee quote from our accountants to investigate further our potential options for incorporation in some form now that we are no longer listed by the Certification Officer and have in effect become an unincorporated association. We did not consider this worth pursuing and I am in the process of speaking to other colleagues both in the charity sector and in the high level corporate world who find solutions to these kind of issues. In addition I have asked our insurer to inform us of the current effectiveness of the professional indemnity insurance in these circumstances. This matter also relates to our interest in engaging more community organisations. My target is still to try and bring proposals forward to the November EC. 12.6 I would propose that we invite Mick Lynch GS and Eddie Dempsey AGS and their families to our end of year EC. Maddie Carty (and her by then new baby) have been booked for the entertainments.

12.7

An internal organisational review of the finance team is taking place.

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The honourable Ümit Yalçın

Turkish Ambassador to the United Kingdom

Embassy of Turkey

43 Belgrave Square

London

SW1X 9PA

By email and post

18 th May 2022

Your Excellency,

We are writing to express how appalled we are with the recent Turkish military actions in Northern Iraq

and the ongoing attacks and bombardments in North Eastern Syria. We call on the Turkish government to

immediately stop the military operations, withdraw all troops, and end the terrorisation of the civil

populations and ethnic cleansing that the Turkish state is carrying out in these areas.

It is astonishing that at a moment when the world quite rightly condemns the brutal Russian invasion of

Ukraine, and when Turkey is attempting to play a mediatory role to end the conflict, Turkey is at the same

time engaging in exactly the same behaviour as the Russian state.

It appears to us that defence against terrorism is the excuse used by both the Russian and Turkish states in

order to justify their illegal invasions of sovereign countries.

In our view, and based on the UK’s own painful experience in relation to Ireland, only through engagement

and dialogue can the deep rooted causes of conflicts be properly addressed and only by bringing all parties

to the table can solutions be found.

This is why we have repeatedly urged President Erdogan and the Turkish government to return to the

negotiating table and to find a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict. We repeat that call now.

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We are fully aware that the Turkish government did indeed engage with the Kurdish political movement in

the period 2013-2015 and understand that such processes are only successful if all parties can properly

engage. With this in mind we reiterate our call for the immediate release of imprisoned Kurdish leader

Abdullah Ocalan so that he can play a full and constructive role in the search for peace.

We firmly reject the simplistic labelling of all opposition to President Erdo gan’s actions as acts of terrorism

and note that the UK All Party Parliamentary Group for Kurds in Turkey and Northern Syria recently called

for a review of the listing of the PKK as a terrorist organisation. We further note that the Belgium Supreme

Court ruled in 2017 that the PKK is an actor in an internal conflict rather than a terrorist organisation.

Opinion across the world is changing and many people now understand the heroic role that the Kurdish

movement played in defeating ISIS, many more are also increasingly aware of the need to stand in

solidarity with the Kurdish people’s resistance to brutal repression and ethnic cleansing.

With a presidential election looming in 2023 we take this opportunity to urge the current Turkish

government to end the violence and repression, and seize the moment to launch a new peace initiative

based on dialogue and negotiation.

Although we have never received a response to our repeated letters we hereby once again request a

meeting to discuss the situation.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Mick Whelan, General Secretary ASLEF

John McGowan, General Secretary SWU

Sarah Woolley, General Secretary BFAWU

Manuel Cortes, General Secretary TSSA

Dave Ward, General Secretary CWU

Vicky Blake, General Secretary UCU

Gary Smith, General Secretary GMB

Sharon Graham, General Secretary Unite the Union

Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary NEU

Doug Nicholls, General Secretary GFTU

Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary NEU

Roz Foyer, General Secretary STUC

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary PCS

Shavanah Taj, General Secretary Wales TUC

Mick Lynch, General Secretary RMT

Clare Mellor, CEO Thompsons Solicitors

COLLUSION, CONSPIRACY & CORRUPTION: AN “ON THE GROUND” REPORT INTO TURKISH WAR CRIMES AND USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS

Steve Sweeney

May 2022 PEACE IN KURDISTAN peaceinkurdistancampaign.com

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COLLUSION, CONSPIRACY & CORRUPTION: AN “ON THE GROUND” REPORT INTO TURKISH WAR CRIMES AND USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS

Steve Sweeney

May 2022 PEACE IN KURDISTAN

INTRODUCTION Steve Sweeney is a journalist from Britain’s Morning Star newspaper and spent more than a year living in Slemani in Iraqi Kurdistan. He is working on a book titled Bashur: Kurdish resistance movements in Iraqi Kurdistan. This report was compiled using information gained from numerous meetings and trips across the region over a two year period including the Qandil mountains, Ranya, Kuna Masi, Makhmour refugee camp, Shengal, Dukan, Kalar, Halabja, Duhok, Erbil and the Medya Defence Zones. Steve was able to meet with local politicians, journalists, medical staff, NGOs, activists and security officials along with military commanders, peshmerga forces and guerrilla fighters along with local residents of the many towns and villages he visited. He does not claim to be an expert on Kurdish issues however has reported extensively from the ground on the impact of Turkey’s invasion and occupation and the intolerance of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to any form of dissent. Summary Turkey has bombarded Iraqi Kurdistan’s Duhok province for more than a year to global silence. The main victims of Operation Claw Lightning are civilians. It has been accused of hundreds of chemical attacks yet the OPCW and world bodies have so far refused to send a fact-finding team to the area. Medics, peshmerga, NGOs, Kurdish officials and villagers all state clearly their belief that chemicals have been used. Testimonies from health officials claim they have been threatened and forced to change medical reports that said they treated patients for exposure to chemicals. Samples of soil, clothing and hair have been collected from the affected areas, but there has been a refusal to test them for the presence of chemicals. Turkey’s military operation has seen the construction of many new military bases linked by a network of roads that also lead across the border. The expansion has led to charges of a de facto occupation.

Air strikes have targeted hospitals, civilians and political leaders in Shengal, Qandil and Makhmour Refugee Camp. These are war crimes yet the international community has remained silent. All three areas operate a system of self-administration that follows the principles of Democratic Confederalism. The KDP and Turkish intelligence are said to be colluding, with accusations that civilians have been threatened and pressured into becoming spies. Security officials accuse Turkey and the US of being behind the resurgence of Isis in the region, the former to attack Kurds and the latter as an auxiliary militia against Iranian-backed forces. BACKGROUND Turkey launched Operation Claw Lightning on April 23 2021, the date that marks the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. It claims its latest military intervention is aimed at bringing about the final defeat of the Kurdistan Worker Party (PKK). Attacks by fighter jets and military helicopters were followed by a ground invasion near the Kurdish villages of Kesta and Hirure in Duhok province where Turkey claims to operate a “security zone” but in fact is expanding rapidly and resembles a de facto military occupation. The Turkish state is also targeting the last strongholds of the PKK, particularly Avasin where the village of Ars Fars has borne the brunt of the alleged chemical attacks that have taken place in sites across Iraqi Kurdistan. While the Turkish state anticipated a swift victory this did not come about due to the resistance of the PKK guerrilla [the armed-wing of the movement, the HPG] in the area known as the Medya Defence Zones. It is not clear how many Turkish troops are inside Kurdistan, but it is believed to be at least two thousand. These forces are bolstered by mercenaries that have been shipped in from the battlefields of Syria and training camps in southern Turkey.

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