Cronin House
245 Church Street
London
N9 9HW
Telephone: 020 8803 0255
Membership enquiries: membership@poauk.org.uk
General enquiries:
general@poauk.org.uk
The POA has a policy adopted at Annual Conference that every branch should be affiliated to their local trades council. But what are trades councils and what do they do? Trades union councils promote working-class solidarity in local communities and this article explains why you should be affiliating at local level and playing an active part promoting the POA at national and regional levels throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
TRADES COUNCILS AND THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT
Trades councils are the local trade union movement. They can be called upon by any trade union branch to show strike or other dispute solidarity, which could be via a picket line, media publicity or a financial appeal. National trade unions can promote their priority issues more effectively when local trades councils assist with publicity, leaflet distribution, recruitment, and speakers at meetings. When trades councils respond to strong feeling in working-class communities, they can report this to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) at regional and national levels.
TRADES COUNCILS AT COUNTY AND REGIONAL LEVELS
Trades councils can combine within one or more local government areas to form a delegate-based county association (CA), which meets to co-ordinate campaign and solidarity work across that wider area. Trades councils can also send delegates to regional TUC meetings and conferences, either directly or via their CA, and may have seats on the executive committee of regional TUCs.
TRADES COUNCILS AT NATIONAL LEVEL
There are about 150 trades councils in England and Wales and 25 county associations. These are represented nationally by the TUC Joint Consultative Committee (TUCJCC), which has nine elected trades council delegates and meets members of the TUC General Council six times a year. I am currently the nominated person from the General Council that chairs the TUCJCC. There are also trades councils in Scotland and Ireland that have links with the TUC and their own national TUCs.
TRADES COUNCILS CONFERENCE
This is held annually and consists of delegates from local TCs and CAs. Conference discusses a report from the TUCJCC, motions relevant to the movement, current campaigns and a new programme of work ideas via conference workshops. Conference selects a single motion for the TUC annual congress, and elects a delegate to move that motion. I have had the pleasure over the past five years of chairing the TUCJCC annual conference. The level of debate and motions are excellent and varied from international topics to topics relating to home.
WHAT IS A TRADES UNION COUNCIL?
Trades union councils are local groups of trade unionists. They are elected from trade union branches whose members live and/or work in the area. Trades union councils are often referred to as TCs. They promote effective solidarity in disputes, joint campaigns on issues such as health, education, welfare and transport, the criminal justice system and, in general, provide the vital link between the workplace and the wider working-class community. Trade union branches affiliate to their local TC on the basis of a small annual fee per member, which is usually between 10p and 25p. In turn, TCs support and can themselves affiliate to local and national union campaigns for social justice.
WHAT DO TRADES COUNCILS DO?
TCs activities are guided by an annual programme of work, determined by their annual conference. This can include campaigns to defend the NHS, criminal justice system, to promote public education, transport, the welfare state, and to support benefit claimants, women, black, ethnic minority, gay and transgender people, young people and people with disabilities.
POA BRANCHES INVOLVEMENT IN TRADES COUNCILS
There are several POA branches that are very involved and play an effective part in their trades councils. By being active, it spreads our messages not just to other trade unions in your local area but also the community. As stated at the beginning of this article, it is POA policy to not just affiliate to your local trades council but to actively participate. Just as the POA is affiliated to the TUC at regional and national level, all POA branches should affiliate to, send delegates to, and play a full part in the local trades council. Finance is not a barrier as every branch has its local account and the POA pays the affiliation fees nationally, so you can claim them back. Trades councils are an important part of the trade union movement and very much grassroots led. Jackie Marshall, NEC representative, recently addressed, as I have, trades councils on the issue of the right to strike and further restrictions being brought in regarding minimum service levels, which is a cynical attempt by this government to stop ordinary workers bettering their terms and conditions and pay. That is why I am asking all POA branches to make an effort to affiliate to their local trades council.
Cronin House
245 Church Street
London
N9 9HW
Telephone: 020 8803 0255
Membership enquiries: membership@poauk.org.uk
General enquiries:
general@poauk.org.uk
Representing over 30,000 Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers, the POA is the largest UK Union in this sector, able to trace its roots back more than 100 years.