EC Meeting July 2022

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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