You have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in a matter to be discussed if it relates to something on your Register of Interests form. You must declare the interest and leave the room while the matter is dealt with.

To underpin our support Great Yarmouth Borough council resolves to write to the Prime Minister David Cameron to ask his Government to do more to support the British steel industry through banning the import of steel ‘dumped’ on the world market and through reviewing UK energy prices and business rates to provide a mechanism where needed to enable the UK steel industry to compete fairly with other European Union Member States.

In taking this action Great Yarmouth Borough Council recognises the strategic importance of supporting British industry and British jobs and hopes that the Government will intervene to ensure the UK is not disadvantaged.

Signed By: Councillor Sutton, Councillor Williamson, Councillor T Wainwright, Councillor Walker, Councillor Jeal, Councillor Linden 

(b) This Council Notes

The Second Reading of the Trade Union Bill was passed by the House of Commons on the 14/09/2015 and now enters the committee stages.

The lack of evidence to justify such wide-ranging restrictions. For instance, the number of days lost to industrial action per year has fallen dramatically over the last 30 years. Since 2010, on average 647.0000 days have been lost to industrial action each year, compared to over 7 million in the 1980s.

The 50% turnout requirement in the Bill for all industrial action, but a requirement that 40% of those entitled to vote support action in certain unreasonably broad but ill-defined        “Important public services”

Abstentions in ballots for industrial action will be treated as “No votes”

The Government is to encourage the use of agency workers to break strikes without due consideration for service provision, health and safety and long term relationships in the workplace.

The continuing denial of Union Members the right to vote by “eballoting” ensuring high turnout and democratic participation.

The legislation would force Union Members to opt in, rather than opt out, to payment of union political funds.

The Bill seeks to interfere in the rights of Local Authorities in discussion of facility time for trade Union representatives.

The decision of government to prevent automatic payment of Union Subscription fees by Public Sector employees so obliging Union Members to organise their own subscription fees.

This Council believes that these provisions of the Trade Union Bill are unfair, unnecessary and undemocratic, putting Britain beyond the normal expectations or international law and standards, and will involve considerable bureaucracy and red tape, largely to be funded by ordinary workers from their subscriptions.

It further believes all these measures will undermine constructive employment relations and civil liberties of working people in Britain, within Local authorities and throughout the Public and Private Sector, and is concerned the Bill may criminalise pickets, already tightly regulated, or possibly embroil Local Authorities in the deployment of Antisocial Behaviour Orders for otherwise model citizens.

In summary, the Council believes the proposals in the Bill restrict the right to freedom of association and in some cases may also restrict the right to freedom and assembly.

Therefore, as the legislation is likely to have a serious effect on the authorities relationship with its workforce, this Council requests the Chief Executive officer to write to;

 The Government expressing the Council’s dismay at these proposals.

The LGA requesting the association protest against the Bill and support any legal action seeking to challenge the TU Bill in the European Court of Human Rights.

Signed By : Councillor T Wainwright, Councillor Jeal, Councillor Walker, Councillor Williamson, Councillor H Wainwright, Councillor Sutton