GFTU BGCM Minutes 2017

4

This principle can extend to shared commissioning of research into

common bargaining challenges, with the GFTU brokering this via their network

of academics.

5

Indeed, this BCGM believes the GFTU is uniquely placed to promote,

coordinate and broker such sharing across affiliates.

Therefore, this BCGM calls upon the GFTU to:

A

include opportunities to specifically promote this sharing in the GFTU

annual events programme.

B

create a working party of union sharing champions.

He said: Good morning, everyone. Let me start by stating something obvious

in case you had not noticed, Motion 4 follows on from Motion 3, not just

numerically. It follows on in lateral terms as well. It is an extension a little bit of

what I had to say yesterday in terms of the importance of recognising our inner

strengths and our potential to move forward. I think the important point that I

wanted to make is that we now need to identify and move on the practical steps

to fulfil the objectives identified at the special GFTU summit in 2015 which was

ground breaking and I hope we will get a chance to look a little bit more at what

happened there further in the agenda.

Doug and Ian’s contributions this morning have eloquently spelt out the

identified imperatives from the GFTU summit, so I do not need to rehearse

them again, which will please you all, I am sure, but by way of example NAPO

as a small craft union is in the same place as many other unions in having to

consider its current and future funding objectives and to take a long hard look

at what we do and how we do it. Last year, for example, we took the brave

step of selling our dear old Chivalry Road base. Not many of you went there,

you did not miss much, but we had to move. It was no longer conducive to us

wanting to move ahead in a modernised setting. So we took the brave step of

selling our Chivalry Road base and we have moved to a new home with our

sister union PCS, but obviously that was not a cost saving measure, but it was,

as I said, an important step as part of our regeneration programme which is

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