MINUTES GREEN SENIORS MEETING 6/10/2019 at Green Party Conference, Newport

1) P.Murry introduced Green Seniors  mentioning that:

·      Membership of GS is open to all GP members who are interested in ‘senior’ issues, irrespective of age.

·      GS meets regularly in London, but members are encouraged to set local/regional groups.

·      Details of GS’ aims, constitution, current committee and minutes of previous GS meetings can be found at https://greenseniors.blogspot.com/ which is linked from the GP members’ site.

·      GS also has a twitter account and a facebook page which needs updating.

·      Maureen Childs regularly organises visits to places and events of interest in and around London for GS members.

·      GS is affiliated to  the National Pensioners Convention (https://www.npcuk.org)

·      GS, along with some other internal GP groups, is being offered £400 to fund it’s activities. To use this it will be necessary to open a bank account and elect a Treasurer to run it.

2) TV Licenses campaign, GS members had supported this, but some felt that it was an example of how many older people were privileged in terms of housing, income etc relative to younger generations.

3) In the context of GP and elsewhere the experience of seniors was often ignored

4) GP local/regional parties should make age profiles of their memberships.

5) Some members present proposed to liaise in order to organise a GS conference.

Next meeting GREEN SENIORS AGM 8 NOVEMBER 2019

5.30 pm at Café Caritas 30 Euston Square, London NW1 2FB

1. Introductions and alterations to agenda

2. report on Green Seniors’ activities 2018-9 including Minutes Green Seniors’ meeting: Friday 16 August 2019

3. Election of Green Seniors’ committee 2019/20

Nominations are invited for the following posts

 Co-Chairs
Secretary

Treasurer

Events Officer

Please send Nominations or expressions of interest to Peter Murry, Acting Secretary at yrrumuk@googlemail.com

4. Green Seniors’ constitution

5 Future events and activities including social media

6. AOB

7. Date of next meeting

MINUTES GREEN SENIORS MEETING 6/10/2019 at Green Party Conference, Newport

MINUTES GREEN SENIORS MEETING  6/10/2019 at Green Party Conference, Newport

1) P.Murry introduced Green Seniors  mentioning that:

·      Membership of GS is open to all GP members who are interested in ‘senior’ issues, irrespective of age.

·      GS meets regularly in London, but members are encouraged to set local/regional groups.

·      Details of GS’ aims, constitution, current committee and minutes of previous GS meetings can be found at https://greenseniors.blogspot.com/ which is linked from the GP members’ site.

·      GS also has a twitter account and a facebook page which needs updating.

·      Maureen Childs regularly organises visits to places and events of interest in and around London for GS members.

·      GS is affiliated to  the National Pensioners Convention (https://www.npcuk.org)

·      GS, along with some other internal GP groups, is being offered £400 to fund it’s activities. To use this it will be necessary to open a bank account and elect a Treasurer to run it.

2) TV Licenses campaign, GS members had supported this, but some felt that it was an example of how many older people were privileged in terms of housing, income etc relative to younger generations.

3) In the context of GP and elsewhere the experience of seniors was often ignored

4) GP local/regional parties should make age profiles of their memberships.

5) Some members present proposed to liaise in order to organise a GS conference.

Next meeting GREEN SENIORS AGM 8 NOVEMBER 2019

5.30 pm at Café Caritas 30 Euston Square, London NW1 2FB

1. Introductions and alterations to agenda

2. report on Green Seniors’ activities 2018-9 including Minutes Green Seniors’ meeting: Friday 16 August 2019

3. Election of Green Seniors’ committee 2019/20

Nominations are invited for the following posts

 Co-Chairs
Secretary

Treasurer

Events Officer

Please send Nominations or expressions of interest to Peter Murry, Acting Secretary at yrrumuk@googlemail.com

4. Green Seniors’ constitution

5 Future events and activities including social media

6. AOB

7. Date of next meeting

GREEN SENIORS AGM 8 NOVEMBER 2019

GREEN SENIORS AGM 8 NOVEMBER 2019

5.30 pm at Café Caritas 30 Euston Square, London NW1 2FB

1. Introductions and alterations to agenda

2. report on Green Seniors’ activities 2018-9 including Minutes Green Seniors’ meeting: Friday 16 August 2019

3. Election of Green Seniors’ committee 2019/20

Nominations are invited for the following posts

 Co-Chairs
Secretary

Treasurer. Events Officer

Please send Nominations or expressions of interest to Peter Murry, Acting Secretary at yrrumuk@googlemail.com

4.  Green Seniors’constitution

5                  Future events and activities including social media

6                   AOB

7            Date of next meeting

History does not repeat itself but

History does not repeat itself but   Johnson’s prorogation of Parliament reminds us of how fast the anti-Parliamentary decisions by German Chancellors opened the door to the Nazi Party taking power in January 1933.

Johnson’s intention to prorogue Parliament has disturbing similarities with events starting in March 1930. As in Germany, events unfolded over a couple of years. First, there was May’s failed intention to bypass Parliament and trigger article 50 by invoking an ancient crown prerogative. In 1930, the right-wing Centre Party Chancellor, started to rule almost entirely through the decrees of President Hindenburg, not through the Reichstag. Then, in June 1932, the next Chancellor, Von Papen, another Centre Party member, under the influence of the Nazis, persuaded Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag altogether and lift the ban on the SA. Using Presidential edict, Papen also cut the payments to the unemployment and arranged tax cuts for corporations and the rich.

In November 1932, Von Papen reached an agreement with Hitler that Hitler become Chancellor, soothed by Hitler’s strategy of emphasising legality and frightened by the strength of the organised working class. As now, the wide spread disillusionment with the main political parties and with the parliamentary process itself encouraged a sympathy with the Nazi Party, just as today the vote and support for Brexit is partly rooted in political disaffection. On January 30, 1933, President Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany.After the next, election, it is highly likely that Johnson will form a parliamentary alliance with the Brexit party to hold onto power.

What firstly distinguished the Nazi’s rule, was their abrogation of bourgeois democratic rights. Proroguing Parliament also is an abrogation of bourgeois rights and we must not let it happen. On the night Hitler became Chancellor, neither the exclusively focused parliamentary Social Democratic Party or, the ‘after them, us’; Communist Party, demonstrated, or called for a general strike. It was as if January 30th was just another day. This time, let us organise to stop the slide towards barbarism.

Demonstrate: see https://www.anothereurope.org/events/ and

Tuesday 3rd September 

6.00 - 8.00 pm

Parliament Square

London

Speakers at the London Rally include:

Tariq Ali - Author and Activist

Laura Pidcock MP

Richard Burgon MP

Dan Carden MP

Laura Smith MP

Kevin Courtney -  NEU General Secretary

Mark Serwotka  - PCS General Secretary

Eddie Dempsey -  RMT Executive Committee member

Ash Sarkar - Journalist and political activist 

Owen Jones - Journalist and political activist

Dr. Sonia Adesara - Keep Our NHS Public

Aaron Bastani - Co-founder and Senior Editor at Novara Media 

Lindsey German  - People's Assembly 

Green Seniors Co-chair Noel Lynch gets pic in Guardian campaigning for independent shops

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/aug/27/kinks-dave-davies-grand-arcade-finchley-london  and 

Kinks guitarist backs calls to save art deco shopping arcade  

 Davies with Noel Lynch, the owner of the Green Room, a curiosity shop in the arcade. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The Guardian

Minutes Green Seniors’ meeting: Friday 16 August 2019

Minutes Green Seniors’ meeting: Friday 16 August 2019 6pm meeting at the Green Room 7 Grand Arcade Tally Ho Corner North Finchley 

 Present: P.Murry, , M. Childs currently had posting rights to the blog, Erwin Schaefer and Noel Lynch  invited

1.   Apologies: Jennifer Chan, Malcolm Bailey

2.  Minutes Green Seniors’ meeting:  Friday 17 May 2019 Agreed for accuracy.

Matters arising:

a)Problems with proposed use of older people as carers eg: wage rates, support with problems. Issue ongoing, not resolved.

b)Meeting of the Trade Union Clean Air Network (TUCAN), Thursday, June 20^th, 2019, P.Murry attended. Minutes @ https://greenseniors.blogspot.com/2019/08/minutes-of-meeting-of-trade-union-clean.html. date of next meeting – Autumn 2019 tba.

c) Local GP contacts for London possible, still need to find out other regions: info sent to London local party contacts. M. Childs to contact regional co-ordinators via GP website.

d)London Federation meeting on 19/82019, at 7pm(doors open 6.30pm) at Living Space Waterloo, 1 Coral Street, SE1 7BE– includes an EGM to reduce committee posts, noted that the current Media Officer post entailed a very heavy workload. .  Annual General meeting will be on Saturday 19 October from 11am at the Bolney Meadow Community Centre in Vauxhall

e)LOPSIG (?) now defunct, activities taken over by with Positive Ageing In London, which was run by Chris Walsh. It included reps from many seniors’ groups, including GS but there seemed to be no funding. M. Childs was looking into health & the NHS for this group.

f)   TfL proposals re truncating bus routes; meetings with TfL ongoing.

g)TV licenses , BBC to pay for licences for those aged 75+? Apparently only for those on benefits.

h)‘Toyboy Tax’ pensioners disqualified from benefits if they have a working Partner. Enacted, complaints reported about its application and appeals procedure.

i)   Amazon demo of voice activated IT devices, Barbican 13/6/2019. M. Childs attended  and reported as a good event.

j)   Brexit and Seniors: objections to stereotype that all older people are pro-Brexit and unconcerned about the environment. , Erwin Schaefer to write article for Autumn Conference Watermelon, deadline 31/8,articles of 500-1000 words needed.

k) Leaflets re making a ‘Green will’ available from Noel Lynch noellynch@lineone.net 

l)   M. Childs still trying to contact GP disabled people’s group.

3 Green Seniors’ membership list N.Lynch to update

4 Green Seniors’ social media

a)currently the GP website link goes to the Green Seniors’ blog @ https://greenseniors.blogspot.com/ which contains pages for GS  aims and committee. Maureen had been Promised a GP web page but nothing has happened (? See Appendix).

b) Posting rights for Gs blog currently P.Murry,&  M. Childs, Noel Lynch  & , Erwin Schaefer invited.

5.   GPEW Conference: spring 2019

a) Green Seniors’ meeting Jay Ginn spoke on Women’s Pension Rights’: a successful meeting.

b) Holistic Review proposals passed. NB this means we must review the constitution and send out notices announcing the next Green Seniors’ meeting as the AG|M, including invitations to stand  for committee posts

6)  GPEW Conference:autumn 2019

Newport - ICC Wales, 4-6 October 2019

The Agenda deadlines for Autumn Conference 2019 have been set by the Standing Orders Committee (SOC) as below. 

Date	Agenda Deadline
18th July 2019	Pre-Agenda deadline: Final date for posting outlines of intended motions and policy papers to the Pre-Agenda forum on the new members website here
1st August 2019	First Agenda deadline: Final date for submission of final text of motions and policy papers to SOC. This can be done via a webform [link to follow] or by emailing soc@greenparty.org.uk.
15th August 2019	Publication of the First Agenda, and opening of the Prioritisation Ballot [links to follow]
29th August 2019	Final date for posting of amendments to the forums on the members’ website [links to follow]
5th September 2019	Final Agenda deadline Final versions of amendments must be submitted - by a minimum of four co-proposers - via the webform [link to follow] or email to soc@greenparty.org.uk
12th September 2019	Final date for submission of Late Motions to Conference [link to follow]
19th September 2019	Publication of the Final Agenda (latest)

dates for late & emergency motions?

The late motion deadline is? and must relate to an issue that has arisen since the closing of the Pre-Agenda Forum.

Emergency Motions do not have a deadline except that they must be before 6pm on the evening before and must relate to an issue that has arisen since the Late Motion deadline. 

b)   fringes and meetings: Secretary awaiting forms from head office

c)   stalls booked : Secretary has received forms, M. Childs to arrange for delivery of items for Green Seniors’ stall to P.Murry

d) Autumn Conference Watermelon deadline 31/8, articles of 500-1000 words needed.contact P.Murry at yrrumuk@googlemail.com.

6 Future Green Seniors events & activities:

a)TUC LESE Pensioners' Network Seminar 2019 Update themed on Loneliness and Isolation Tuesday 3 September (10am – 3.30pm) @ TUC Congress House FREE admission but booking essential.  See https://www.tuc.org.uk/node/521947

Article in RSA magazine re loneliness and isolation recommended

b)EE meeting on 5G and new technology at Portcullis House,  M. Childs to supply further details. NB booking essential.

8.AoB

a) British Computer Society asked by House of Lords for evidence that IT can assist with  well-being. Suggested that M. Childs contact Baroness Jones about this.

b) LB Barnet is abolishing the public right to speak at council meetings .(?) need to confirm

9 Date of Next meeting  8, 15 or 29 November M. Childs to investigate using Tavistock House as a venue

Minutes of the meeting of the Trade Union Clean Air Network (TUCAN) Thursday, June 20th, 2019

Minutes of the meeting of the Trade Union Clean Air Network (TUCAN)

Thursday, June 20^th, 2019

1.     Attendance – There were 22 people representing 9 trades unions – ASLEF, BFAWU, CWU, GMB, NASUWT, NEU, PCS, TSSA and UCU, and organisations that included British Lung Foundation, British Safety Council, Client Earth and Labour Research Dept. It was hosted by UCU and convened by the Greener Jobs Alliance and the Hazards Campaign.

2.     Union updates – Greener Jobs Alliance and Hazards Campaign provided a brief outline of progress since the February launch meeting was given. 13 unions representing the majority of TUC membership had signed up to the TUCAN Charter. A Union Guide on Air Pollution has been circulated. Unions are welcome to adapt it for distribution to their own reps. Posters and stickers have been distributed and there has been useful coverage in a number of health and safety journals. A TUCAN page has been set up on the GJA web site where the charter and guide can be downloaded. There will be an Air Pollution workshop at the annual Hazards Conference in July.

Each union provided information on air pollution and related developments. Some had organised fringe meetings at annual conference and others are producing new guidance for reps. UCU will be running training courses that would feature air pollution issues. Motions on calling a climate emergency had been passed

3.     Other organisation updates – LRD publishing a new guide on ‘Unions, climate change and just transition’. Client Earth are publishing a 2 page briefing as part of the Healthy Air Campaign. A couple of references to occupational hazards have been inserted and TUCAN has supported. British Lung Foundation is updating the school guidance in conjunction with NEU. Health care professionals are being mobilised and lobbying activity with the Clean Air Parents Network. British Safety Campaign launched the ‘Time to Breathe’ campaign along with the Canairy app to monitor outdoor worker exposure. It had not been easy to get employer buy-in and currently restricted to London. Event in Manchester in late September being planned.

4.     Campaigns on the legal framework and guidance – There have been calls for a new Clean Air Act. Likely to be an Environment Bill with a Clean Air chapter. Will be primary legislation with potential for secondary legislation. Priorities are a) need for improved legal limits with a shorter timescale for introduction b) duties on public bodies c) duty to provide healthy air plans.Action a) Healthy Air Campaign submissions should be circulated to trade union parliamentary groups b) Provide input on the link with other law, particularly HASAWA, COSHH and EPA. Issues of lack of defined legal duties compared to goal setting, plus lack of political will to enforce. C) Hazards and interested unions to liaise with Katie at Client Earth

5.     Monitoring equipment – Review of products currently available. Identifying sectors and workplaces for union based considered. Action – a) GJA to explore options and identify a potential project. A case study will require a minimum of 3 months b) BSC considering making the Canairy app available to everyone rather than just via employers c) Use the Metro Mayor elections to press for greater commitments including installation of more monitoring stations to make the app more viable outside London d) MH (BSC) to circulate case studies

6.     Union rep guidance and other resources – Potential for using on union rep courses. Action – a) JJ to develop a couple of course activities b) provide template for individual unions on request c) A Part 2 guide to provide more detail and incorporate case studies, more on limits of PPE

7.     TUCAN Co-ordination role and future arrangements – Consider a TUCAN conference in the Autumn with potential for regional events. Press for TUCAN presence in upcoming trade union events like TUC. Action – a) GJA and Hazards to approach NW TUC re linking to their JT conference b) MH to help with co-ordination around circulation of updates

8.     AoB and date of next meeting – Autumn meeting. Action – JN to circulate options

Janet Newsham

Greater Manchester Hazards Centre

Windrush Millennium Centre,

70 Alexandra Road

Manchester

M16 7WD

Email: janet@gmhazards.org.uk

Tel: 0161 636 7558