Report: London Hazards 2012 AGM
Guest speakers: Greg Edwards, Fire Brigades Union,
talked about the FBU campaign against the threatened closure of 17 London Fire Stations and other cuts and safety matters.
Kingsley Abrams, UNITE National Executive Council member,
Elections
Chair: Peter Farell, Construction Safety Campaign
Treasurer: Jennie Twydell, Unite Clerkenwell & St Pancras Branch
New Trustees
Ismail Buyukakan, Unite North London Branch
Jas Dhaliwal, UCU City and Islington
Dil Joshi, PCS
Philip Lewis, UNISON Camden
Re-elected Trustee
Chris Best, UNISON Thames Waste
they join the following Trustees (not up for re-election this year)
Steve Ballard, London Shrewsbury Campaign
Mick Gilgunn, Islington TUC
Monica Gort, WEA
Mick Larkin, Unite
Ian MacDeson, Camden TUC and Camden UCATT
Other business
Gromans and Company were reappointed auditors.
The AGM discussed work done in the last year particularly the large number of training sessions for community groups throughout all the London Boroughs; the development of our website; Mesothelioma Action Day events in 2011 and 2012, an asbestos conference in 2011, work with Construction Safety Campaign for Workers Memorial Day, briefings about developments following the Lofsted report; briefing on Crane Safety; production and distribution of the Newsletter.
Votes of thanks were recorded for outgoing chair Kevin Williamson, Unite, for the work he has done to support the Centre over many years but particularly the difficult last few years when he took on the job of Chair; and for Jennie Twydell, who we are pleased is continuing as Treasurer, who has brought in strict financial procedures so every penny is accounted for. The staff were also thanked.
Fundraising
Mark Brangwyn, London Councils Head of Community Services and Grants, explained the need for London Hazards to match their funding to demonstrate financial viability in 2012/2013.
The meeting agreed to raise affiliation rates and organise an affiliation drive among London trade unions and community groups; and to ask national unions to show support by affiliating for £200.
It agreed to organise a conference in March hoping supporters would be generous with sponsorship as they have been in the past. Conference questionnaire
Other ideas for fundraising were discussed and a sub-committee will be set up to deal with this. Please get in touch if you want to help.
The AGM agreed that now is not the time to close the London Hazards Centre .
The AGM was held on Thursday 29th November 2012, at Conway Hall, Holborn.