Report on the Retired Members Conference Held on the 6th March 2008 at CWU Headquarters
 

General Secretary’s Opening address. In his opening address Billy Hayes welcomed delegates & observers to the Conference stating that as always it was very well attended. Billy said there was great concern over the closure of a possible 2,500 Sub Post offices and that the Union are calling for a judicial review of the situation. He said that the Liberalisation of the Postal service has not improved the service and that there needs to be a review of Postcomm.

 

1.

  

The first Motion before the conference was from the Retired Members Advisory Committee (RMAC). This conference pays tribute to the trade Unions who started the campaign in 1908, and congratulates the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) for highlighting the Centenary of the old age pension in 2008. It went on to ask conference to give its full support to the NPC’s demand that the government increase the basic state pension to at least £134 a week, and to increase yearly in line with earnings or prices (which ever is greatest).!! When state pension was introduced it was 5 /- a week, which equated to 25% of the weekly wage, the average for state pension is now only 17% of the average weekly wage.
The Motion was carried
 

2.

  

Scotland Region, Called upon the RMAC to urge the CWU NEC to campaign for an Urgent up rating of the fuel allowance. One delegate stated that we do not need allowances and that it should be incorporated into our pensions, as Allowances can be taken a way.
The motion was however Carried.

 

3.

  

North West Region moved Motion No. 3. “That this retired Members Conference Deplores the lack of information with regards to the National Insurance Fund surplus.” Surplus balances have been quoted as £27Billion to £39 Billion. One MP stated that no such fund exists. The Conference instructs the RAMC and the NEC to seek support from other like minded organisations to urge the government to openly declare-

      a) That the fund exists
      b) Declare the true surplus balance
      c) If used for purposes other that Pensions benefit, then full details should be
          published
      d) To publish half yearly statements of the amount in the National Insurance Fund
          surplus.

Tony Kearns said that during 2006 monies paid in and paid out for National Insurance resulted in a surplus of £34 billion, this equated to three times more than is needed to be kept in reserve. There were over 2million pensioners below the poverty line.
The motion was carried.
 

4.

  

Motion 4 from the North west Region asked conference to express its anger over the lack of support from and appearance’s, shown by CWU sponsored MPs. After a short debate in which Billy Hayes stated that this was a to general accusation and called on the region to give more specific information on these charges.
The motion was not carried

 

5.

  

This motion asked that the RMAC to campaign through the TUC, NPC sponsored MPs and other bodies to restore a minimum number of inspections of care homes each year. During the moving of this motion, it was stated that at present there are 4 inspections each year, 2 announced and 2 unannounced. There are proposals to reduce these to 1 a year, which would result in 350 redundancies.
The Motion was carried.
 

6.

  

Midland Region submitted a motion relating to the Postcode lottery on the Drug or treatment of patients in the NHS. And called upon the RMAC to request that the NEC campaign with other bodies to press the Government resolution on this matter.
This was carried.
 

7.

  

This Motion by the North East Region was on a similar subject. This asked the CWU by all means possible to call upon the Government to end the Postcode lottery of pensioner’s access to NHS treatment and personal health assistance in hospitals, residential, and their own homes. All state pensioners resident in the UK to have equal access to all Government benefits.
Carried
 

8.

  

Scotland submitted a long motion relating to the large utility companies (Gas, Electricity Telecom etc), who introduce charges to customers who do not sign up to direct debit schemes. It said that some pensioners who do not have Bank accounts would have to pay larger bills. The motion asked that the RMAC to seek assistance from the NEC to campaign against these charges.
Carried
 

9.

  

Conference registered grave concern that N power has already announced a 17% in its tariffs before Christmas 2007 and has announced a further rise in its prices. British Gas has raised its marker traffic tariff by13% for gas and 17% on Electricity. It is forecast that there will be a 15% increase in bill from all British Energy Companies. We urge the TUC and Labour Party to come to the aid of the 4 Million householders in fuel poverty. (I.e. spending more than 10% of their income on energy bills). We call on the Labour Government to:-

1) Get rid of the regulator, who is perusing a totally free market for energy has
    delivered the highest prices in Europe for British Companies.
 
2) The government take on the regulator role and is accountable to Parliament on its
     performance.

3) As a beginning the government immediately enforce price controls
4) Produce a programme of nationalisation.

5) To bring in measures that will safeguard the low paid and pensioners who are on
    fixed incomes from joining those in fuel poverty. The RMAC supported this motion,
    stating that it was a disgrace that any government should allow utility service to be
    in the hands of private companies. All utilities should be in public hands.

The Motion was carried
 

10.

  

London Region asked that each issue of the Voice should include a paragraph advertising Retired Membership, with a section to be completed by the member indicating that he/she wish to apply for retired membership.

This was carried.

Peter Raynor Vice President NPC Address to Conference

Peter gave an address to conference on the issue of the New National Bus Pass. Monies paid to the local authorities is not ring fenced, therefore concessions will vary from place to place. The new Bus pass give you free travel on busses from 09.30hrs –23.00.hrs. Some authorities may extend this to outside these times and other usage (i.e. Trams Etc). Your Buss pass will not be valid in Scotland or Wales. & N Ireland. If you require full details on this issue and many others, you can find them on the NPC website www.npcuk.org . If you do not have access to a computer then please contact the Branch Office for Information.

These Motions in this report have been condensed in to my own interpretation of wording. Should you require a copy of the full version please contact me via the Branch Office.

Rod Downing
Class C Membership Secretary

SOUTH EAST NO 5 BRANCH - CLASS C SECRETARY

FRED PULLAN 18/10/1929 - 31/12/2007

It is with great sadness that we have to report that after taking ill suddenly over Christmas, Fred passed away in hospital on the morning of 31st December 2007. Fred was a stalwart of the Union, a Branch Honorary Member and held a number of Representative Posts in the UCW/CWU during his period with Royal Mail which included:-

Branch Secretary - Guildford Amalgamated Branch 1974 to 1992
Assistant District Organiser – South East No 3 DC 1976 to 1995
Class C Secretary - South East No 5 Branch 1995 to 2007

Fred Pullan, Branch Class C Secretary being presented with
Branch Honorary Membership from Eric Lovett, National
Organising Secretary on Wednesday 17th December 1997.

 

Fred will be sadly missed by all of the Branch Officials as a work colleague but most of all as a good friend.

Retired Members


As a retired member of the CWU the following are just some of the benefits available to you:

To visit Age Concerns Web Site click here, you will find advice, campaigns, research and education on issues affecting older people.

Report on the Retired Members Conference 
8th March 2007

 
In his opening address to the conference, Billy Hayes referred to the forth-coming election for the Labour Party Leadership. He said that we have lost a large number of voters over the past three years, and there is much work to be done to regain those voters.
 
He also referred to the closures of Sub Post Offices, and the effect this will have on local communities. He said there are still many pensioners who collect their pensions at the Post Office, with the loss of services offered by the Post Office, we must think of ways to bring in other services, one being explored was to install Internet terminals into sub offices. Many Post Offices are a part of the community and a must not be lost.
 
Motions:

1. This motion deplored the fact that National Insurance Contributions are not payable
    above the upper earnings limit of £630 a week. It went on to say that the NEC
    should use its influence in the Labour Party and the TUC to ensure that the
    Government is no longer permitted to borrow from the current NI fund surplus to
    finance any initiatives that are unconnected with the fund. This treasury practice
    has constantly undermined the case for using the NI surplus to improve the state
    pension.

This Motion was carried.

2. This motion instructed the NEC to gain an amendment to the Government
    proposals on the State Pensions Saving Scheme. That payments by individuals and
    companies shall be paid into the National Insurance Fund, and not individual/ Bank
    Insurance companies to invest in the vagary of the stoke market. In moving the
    speaker said that any surplus could be used to increase the state pension. 

This was carried.

3. Motion 3 by the Scotland region, The CWU will campaign through our relevant
    affiliated organisations to achieve the following policy.
    All households in receipt of State Retirement Pension should receive an equivalent
    discount in council tax as to that received by single occupant households.

This Motion was carried.

4. The Retired Members Advisory Committee is to request the NEC to campaign with
    other interested groups, for the removal of the post code lottery in the treatment
    of cancer.

This was carried.

5. Council Tax. This motion said that the geographical location for determining the
    ability to pay is not in the best interest of our retired members. Therefore the NEC
    is instructed to resist any proposals by government bodies to introduce Zonal
    Banding.

This was carried.

6. Motion six dealt with Water rate charges in Northern Ireland. And asked the N.E.C
    to support the campaign against the change in the way water rates are paid in NI.

Carried. 

7. This motion expressed concerns the government funding for hospices is as low as
    26%, which means that hospices are subsidizing work th4y do on behalf of the NHS
    from other income. And asked the Executive to campaign through the TUC and
    Labour Party to get the government to increase the funding.

This was carried.

8. A motion by the SE Region on the need to have an independent Pensioners Auditor
    in Parliament, was NOT Carried. The opposition was that it was not clear as to how
    they would be either appointed or elected (if so by whom).

9. This motion by the Scotland region said that it was disappointed that the policy
    agreed last year, for the RMC to have a monthly column in the voice had not been
    progressed.
    After some discussion it was pointed out that it was more beneficial to carry Motion
    10, which called for four issues of the link each year.
    The Motion was not carried.

10. Motion 10 calling for four issues of the link to be published, was carried.

11. Motion 11 asked that there would be an amendment to Rule 3.2.2. Add at end that
      there will be an Associate membership to the CWU retired membership. This to
      include CWU members who did not join within the 26 week rule.

      Associate members will pay a subscription agreed by the NEC but will not receive
      the death benefit paid to retired members.

      This was carried.

It was agreed that Motions 1&7 would go forward to the annual conference.

GUEST SPEAKERS

The two guest speakers to the conference were Bob Laxton MP and Joe Harris General Secretary National Pensioners Convention.
 
In his address to Conference Bob Laxton spoke of the need to maintain Sub offices, but stressed these had to be viable.  He also said the Post Office Card account would be replaced by a new system by 2010, but the post office would have to bid against other organizations to run the scheme.
 
He also gave the conference various figures on how the government had made the Pensioners much better off than under the previous government. In a question and answer session, where a member accused him of not living in the real world, he admitted that his figures referred to those pensioners who did not have Company Pensions.
 
Joe Harris in his address said that the Government keep saying that it cannot afford to increase the state pension. However, the National Insurance fund is £30 Billion in credit, which could be used to increase the Pensions, but the government uses this money to invest in guilt’s to finance other things. The government claim that if they do not do this they would have to put up taxes.
 
  
Rod  Downing