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Rape Crisis Centre bucket collection today

Further to our earlier briefing (copies available from the Scottish news-sheet team) on the situation at the Glasgow Rape Crisis Centre, there have been a couple of significant developments.

Firstly, the Standing Orders Committee has agreed that half of the bucket collection on Thursday will be donated to GRCC and we urge all delegates/branches to give generously. Any

Regions/branches/individuals who wish to donate can do so directly to

Sandy Brindley, GRCC,
PO Box 53,
GLASGOW
G2 1YR

and given the severity of the situation all donations will be warmly received.

Secondly, on 24 June (ironically the proposed date of the Tyson fight) a March for Equality - Scrap the Section will take place in Edinburgh. Marchers should assemble at East Market Street at 12.30.

The platform will include representatives from GRCC on the Tyson issue and from the organisation Scotland welcomes Refugees.

UNISON Scotland has donated £1000 to the organisers of this event and again we would encourage all who can travel to Edinburgh to do so to support this March and Rally.

It's about rape not race

East Lothian Branch have withdrawn their emergency motion on the Tyson fight following agreement on a statement from the NEC and a letter from Rodney Bickerstaffe to Glasgow City Council.

The letter urges Glasgow to reject the application for a licence for the fight. "We believe this will send a clear message about the non-tolerance of violence against women”, says the letter.

Branch Secretary Yvonne Craig welcomed the letter but has been concerned about some uncomradely pressure on her from some black members who believe a ban on Tyson is racist when no action is taken against Sean Connery, for example.

There is room for debate, but not at a level of forcefullness that makes people feel harassed. Yvonne and Scotland are clear that this is an issue of rape not race.

We must get disciplinary rules sorted out - Support 17

It is now essential we get our disciplinary procedures sorted out. Scottish Council supports the NEC's motion 17 as the best way forward.

Last year the proposed changes in the disciplinary rules failed to achieve the two thirds majority by a very narrow margin. The same rule change is presented this year with small modifications.

Rule Change proposal 17 will essentially

- move most disciplinaries away from the NEC to the Regions and branches

- speed up the disciplinary process - a case begun before UNISON was created has still to be completed

- increase safeguards for both the member bringing the complaint and the member facing the complaint

- increase the possibilities of resolving disputes by conciliation.

An alternative rule change proposal 18 is a watered down version of the proposal from the NEC.

Another alternative, rule change proposal 19, has major differences and flaws.

- It requires conciliation to proceed and investigation - this could inhibit complaints by any member who feels oppressed by the person who is the subject of the complaint. Conciliation should be a possible outcome of an investigation, not the other way around.

- It turns an investigation into a disciplinary hearing where accused and accuser are brought into confrontation.

- It inhibits charges being brought against an NEC member - strange but true.

- It prevents a case being moved to the NEC where a Regional panel experiences a conflict of interest.

- It requires a branch to provide administrative assistance to any member who is the subject of a complaint.

Support 17, oppose all others.

And a few others.....

Rule amendment (1)
... devises the need for an interpretation of rules.
Oppose 1.

Rule amendment (2)
.... reopens the democracy debate from 1998.
Oppose 2

Rule amendments 5-8
.... either fail to understand current provisions (5) allow shared delegates for single-delegate Branches or (in 6-8) would set up a never ending debate.
Oppose 5 - 8

Thanks Denise

Our bulletins are now coming to you courtesy of West Dunbartonshire's laptop (our third this week). Thanks to Denise McLafferty.