1 Apologies
2 Any matters arising from minutes of last meeting
3 Guest speaker: Dave Toomer
4 Questions and discussion
5 Introduction to new members
6 Elections for secretary and vice chair
7 Members' problems at work and workplace reports
8 Reports from representatives on National Executive and on Magazine and Book Industrial Council
9 Motions, 1 to 3
10 Announcements and any other business
Conference Motion 1
ADM notes:
1. The complexity of the Fairness at Work legislation
2. The weakness of chapel organisation after several years of derecogntion and anti-union laws
3. The marvellous opportunity the new legislation gives the union to win back recognition across the publishing industry
4. The excellent rank and file conference organised by the union of 16 September 2000
ADM believes:
1. There is a danger of a gap emerging between the union full time officials/negotiators and rank and file union members around campaigns to win back recognition
2. That one of the best ways prevent this gap is to organise more conferences along the lines of the 16 September event
ADM resolves to organise more rank and file conferences, both sector-wide and ones based on geographical boundaries.
Proposed by the Branch Committee
Conference Motion 2
ADM notes:
1. The tragic deaths of 58 Chinese immigrants at Dover docks, which were directly related to the severe restrictions on immigration by Britain and other European Union countries.
2. The viciously racist and xenophobic coverage in both local and national newspapers of issues around asylum and immigration.
3. The use of emotive and inaccurate labels such as 'bogus' by both Conservative and New Labour politicians when referring to asylum applicants.
4. The significant increase in reported racist attacks in the past year across Britain.
5. The introduction by the Government of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999, which has further reduced access to basic social welfare benefits, enforced a discriminatory voucher scheme and started dispersal of asylum seekers.
6. The formation in late spring of the Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers, which has thus far organised supermarket protests against the voucher scheme, purchased an advert in the
Guardian and several regional newspapers, and organised a national demonstration on 24 June 2000.
ADM believes:
1. Asylum seekers and immigrants must not be scapegoated for crises in the NHS, housing and social services provision.
2. The 1999 Act is racist legislation and should be repealed in full.
3. In particular, the voucher scheme could eventually be applied to all benefit claimants and should be scrapped immediately.
ADM welcomes the establishment of the national Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers around the following demands:
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i. The right to work for asylum seekers
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ii. The right of asylum seekers to claim Income Support
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iii. The abolition of Campsfield and other detention centres
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v. The maintenance of the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees
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vi. The scrapping of the voucher system
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vi. An end to dispersal of asylum seekers
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vii. Full rights to legal aid and representation
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viii. The scrapping of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999,
ADM resolves to:
1. Instruct the NEC to ballot the union's membership to affiliate to the Committee at a cost of £50 and circulate its publicity to members and encourage them to participate in activities organised by local groups affiliated to the Committee.
Proposed: Tash Shifrin
Seconded: Gordon Jamieson
Branch motion
This branch notes the The Media After Lawrence conference to be held on 21 October.
This branch resolves to support the conference by sponsoring up to 10 members who wish to attend the conference as delegates at a cost of £25 each.
Proposed by: Themon Djaksam
Seconded by: Gary McFarlane
