Tuesday 15th April at 2pm,
Monet Room, Suffolk House, St Clements Hospital, Ipswich

Present: Steve Cook, Philip Bloyce, Ray Hill, Ros Hagan, Yvonne Cleary & Ian Talbot – notes

Apologies: Liz Potter & Annette Petty

Accuracy agreement of the AGM meeting notes held on Tuesday 18th March accepted.

1) Matters arising
It was agreed by majority to refer to the recorded title in the AGM notes of Joint Branch Secretary as Assistant Branch Secretary.

There has been no contact made with nominated steward Stephen Jessup.
Annette - please chase and enquire intentions.

There has been no nomination form received from Famida Mohamed despite Philip making contact and assurances given this will be forwarded.
Philip to chase please and find out if this will be done or her current position would be more acceptable simply to be appointed by branch committee in session next month.

2) Branch Development Plan
An update from the original submission of BDP and a campaign agreement is being made. Implementation may be deployed once an agreed costing has been reached and the branch accounts approved by the branch auditors. Recruitment is still top priority and a new mapping exercise is required to pinpoint locations of low membership density.

3) Facilities Agreement with SMHP
Past difficulties with Suffolk PCT have been resolved since the provider services were split leading to a much improved open and committed relationship from all sides. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for SMHP. To date, the facilities agreement policy has yet to be resolved and bearing in mind that this agreement is identical to the one accepted and signed off by Suffolk PCT over a year ago, SMHP continue to ask for the definition of “reasonable” set within the wording of the agreement. It would appear only receptive sensibility on the part of the Trust will ever resolve the issue which is why branch and regional union officials will be requesting a meeting with the Trust directors and chief executive in the near future to discuss this and also agree facility time issues. This meeting will also serve to introduce new branch officials and in addition to try and resolve other issues such as continual cancellations of Trust Council meetings and Foundation Status plans and ongoing progress.

4) RMS Development Training
Abigail Jordan is to be put forward for Regional Membership Services (RMS) training.

5) 3 Year Pay Award
Membership details on both systems of RMS and the branch internal database need home address updating and confirmation in readiness for the pay award ballot of which official papers will be posted out to all health members. This is not an easy task but Philip has agreed to send out via email to all known members working for Suffolk PCT and SMHP NHS Trust requesting the information.
Liz Potter currently attending health conference in Manchester requested initial guidance on voting for or against industrial action. A straw pole taken earlier in the week from our local health staff members unanimously indicated they are seeking a pay rise in real terms, and not the three year pay deal currently on offer by the government including the greatly improved package by UNISON nationally which can never predict future upturns of inflation or rises to the real cost of living. The outcome of the vote at conference was unknown at the time of this meeting, but I can report and not forming part of the branch meeting, that the vote taken was in favour to ballot all members for acceptance or rejection of the current three year pay offer.

6) AOB
Philip requested that starting from next month, it would be good to receive verbal reports from the branch secretary, private/voluntary health sector, office and administration including joiners and leavers, Suffolk PCT and SMHP NHS Trust to form part of the standard items on the agenda to give better all round information to all branch members from around our constituency of Suffolk.

There being no other business, the meeting closed at 3.30pm

Date/Time of Next Meeting
Tuesday 20th May 2008 @ 2pm, Monet Room, St Clements Hospital. Ipswich
Refreshments will be available


 

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