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General Secretary’s report July 2017.
1
General Secretary’s report
July 2017
1
BGCM
1.1
Verbatim minutes have been circulated to all delegates and guests.
1.2
A spreadsheet enabling us to track progress on motions has been prepared and is attached.
1.3
It would be useful to evaluate the BGCM at the EC and hear the views of all EC members.
1.4
The staff team have made their own evaluation in considerable detail and drawn some
conclusions and notes for future preparation.
1.5
In general all feedback has indicated that the BGCM and was very positive. The GFTU gives a
unique opportunity for affiliates to learn about each other’s work and I personally found the
presentations from new affiliates very interesting indeed.
2
New Build at Quorn.
2.1
Supported by the hotel directors I took the decision to contract new architects given that
our previously contracted architects had in our view breached our contract with them. They
had performed as they admitted to me very poorly, but they were unable to convince myself
and our project manager that their performance would improve during the new build, this
could have had dire consequences. Our previous architects requested opportunity to put
their case. They put their case to myself and our project manager. Following this meeting I
terminated their contract, I would recommend that if they consider any claim could be taken
against us that we resist most strongly.
2.2
All of the relevant professionals have now been appointed. Regular meetings with our
project manager hotel manager, new architects, and structural engineer will be held on at
least a monthly basis. I would attend these meetings. They are being minuted by the project
manager.
2.3
Our first two meetings have been held. They revealed a number of problems with the
previous architect’s plans. These was discussed in depth. As a result we are proposing a new
nursery design. This will not lose space, it will be more in keeping with the environment, and
importantly, give another problems with the plans will provide a cheaper option building.
Our intention and instruction to the previous architect was to ensure that the Goodacre
suite could be extended into the current area of meeting rooms the submitted plan and
more importantly our cost plan did not cover this. I have therefore instructed the engineer
and architect to plan and cost this element. It could be significant extra cost, hence the need
to reduce what we always considered to be over estimated costs on the nursery newbuild.
2.4 We discussed at length the question of disruption to business and the building timescale.
We have amended the timescale and reduced it from 14 months of building work to 12. We
are committed to rebuilding programme and screamed works which will minimise all
disruption to the business. However we are building to substantial new buildings on the east