Local Government Service Group Conference
15-16 June 2008
Scotland teamwork dumps two-conference plan
Scotland's teamwork and old-fashioned debating skills
combined to win the shock rejection of a motion to detach Local
Government Conference from National Conference and move it to April
alongside the Health Conference.
It looked like there was a huge majority of England
and Wales branches supporting the motion until the last minute when
many changed their view in light of arguments made by Scotland in
the debate. It has been a long time since a debate created such
a shift and the motion was beaten by 6,000 in a card vote.
While there are good arguments for closer working
between Local Government and Health, especially with shared services,
the motion dwelt more on specious arguments that the change would
suit people with caring responsibilities and give the conference
a higher profile.
John Stevenson, City if Edinburgh, exploding one argument
for change said, "It is not WHEN local government conference
is held that gives it a profile - it is HOW it is held. It is about
the profile WE give it and it is about the issues WE bring to it.
"If we do want a better profile, why are we piggy-backing
on the health conference? Surely we don't need a conference so we
can talk and work with our health colleagues?"
John added that although the motion mentions, not
once but twice, the benefits for those with caring responsibilities,
this is a bit of a smokescreen for most delegates. For many, two
separate conferences will mean 10 not 7 days away from home.
"Add to that the fact that we have a host of
public holidays in April across Scotland, as well as our annual
Regional and Local Government Conferences and we have the Scottish
Trades Union Congress. Another Conference in April won't help when
it comes to care arrangements."
"We also need to wake up to the reality of devolution
in our countries and the reality of a devolution agenda in our own
union," warned John. "With the key service conditions
decisions being taken in devolved bargaining and legal structures,
you could see why delegates may not see a UK wide conference separated
from Delegate Conference as all that relevant and that could affect
attendance."
Denise McLafferty, West Dumbartonshire picked up on
the caring argument when she told conference of the impact on one
of her two young children of leaving him in the crèche. "Once
he gets used to it he settles down and enjoys it, but I would not
want him to have to do that at two separate times in the year,"
she said.
She had also left her 17 year old at home on her own.
"At this very moment she has, what in Glasgow we call "an
empty," so you can imagine what she'll be doing," she
told conference. "I don't know about the rest of you but I
can't afford to have my carpet cleaned twice a year!"
Aberdeenshire's Kate Ramsden, spoke of the additional
demands of travel for branches at a distance from conference venues.
"A two day conference for those of us in remote parts of Scotland
will become four days away from home," she said, adding that
if this motion is passed there is a real risk that branches in Scotland
will find it harder to find delegates willing and able to come -
especially smaller branches with a smaller pool of activists.
And responding to a previous speaker who referred
to a motion passed earlier, that pay claims in England and Wales
should be timetabled to ensure that any industrial action will start
no later than April, Kate challenged, "Why would you want to
be trotting down to a conference in April anyway? Shouldn't you
be in your branches co-ordinating and supporting the industrial
action?"
The themes of travel and the impact of that on care
arrangements for those with dependants was further emphasised by
Sandra Kennie of East Lothian branch, herself a carer for an adult
dependant. "My main concern is to make sure there is as little
possible disruption to the dependant I have left at home,"
she told delegates, adding that her current absence of 7 days would
increase to 10 days of disruption.
She also spoke of her concerns that if smaller branches
find themselves unable to send delegates to two separate conferences,
their funding will be reduced because they haven't attended their
national service group conference.
All the Scottish speakers called on the Service Group
executive to think again and on a card vote, conference sent them
to do just that!
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