(time limit 30 minutes)
Motion 1 – Modern Slavery
Councillor Moores to MOVE and Councillor Haque to SECOND:
This Council notes:
· Though slavery was abolished in 1833, there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. Figures from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) suggest that there are more than 40 million people in modern slavery across the world, with nearly 25 million held in forced labour.
· There were 3805 victims of modern slavery identified in the UK in 2016. A rising number but still well below the 10,000 and 13,000 potential victims estimated by the Home Office.
· Modern Slavery is happening nationwide. Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their dispersal to coerce, deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment. This can include sexual and criminal exploitation.
This Council believes
1. That actions need to be taken to raise awareness of modern slavery and the fact that it is happening all over the UK.
2. That the current support for victims is not sufficient and needs to go beyond the 45 days they are currently given by the government.
3. That councils have an important role to play in ensuring their contracts and supplies don’t contribute to modern day slavery and exploitation.
This Council resolves
To adopt the Co-operative Party’s Charter against Modern Slavery to ensure our procurement practices don’t’ support slavery:
Oldham Council will:
1. Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply.
2. Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.
3. Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.
4. Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.
5. Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
6. Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
7. Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.
8. Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.
9. Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.
10. Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually.
Motion 2 - Housing Strategy
Councillor Brownridge to MOVE and Councillor Chauhan to SECOND:
This Council notes that whilst the government’s recognition that the housing market is broken is welcome there is grave concern about the concentration on increased numbers alone. It is essential that policy supports the creation of good quality homes that meet the needs of local communities. In Oldham the existing supply is unbalance with a heavy preponderance of properties in the lowest council tax bands and at the same time a lack of actual affordability with almost half the population only being able to afford social rents. The numbers on the housing waiting list are growing as are the numbers of people who are homeless and who are rough sleepers
Current Government policy promotes continued growth in house prices to support continued consumer spending and this does not address the accommodation issues in areas of lower property values. This is exacerbated by the fact that social housing supply is at its lowest level since the 1930s and owner occupation is decreasing.
Due to the increase in prices the measure of need based on income may not longer be appropriate both because the levels of income need to be higher to be eligible for a mortgage but also because many jobs are no longer secure.
This Council believes that the current strategy to increase numbers is not appropriate for areas like Oldham with low property and land values and Government’s proposals to amend the planning system undermines our desire to improve the quality of accommodation and the local environment. Government also proposes penalties against Local Authorities if housing numbers are not delivered, failing to recognize that while Councils determine planning applications, private companies are largely responsible for building houses.
Council therefore resolves to
· Continue to lobby through the borough’s MPs and the LGA for a formal recognition that new housing must meet the needs of the local community by including a wide range of tenures and to resist the attempt of Government to impose inappropriate penalties on local authorities
· Support the GMCA’s efforts to secure financial assistance for the remediation of previously developed land which is often not financially viable in areas of low value without this subsidy
· Urge the government to recognise that the planning system has an important role to play in protecting the quality of new housing and of the wider environment but new homes cannot be delivered by the planning system alone.
Motion 3 – The TUC
Councillor Fielding to MOVE and Councillor Hewitt to SECOND:
The Council notes that the 150th anniversary of the TUC is in June 2018.
Council also notes that the history of the TUC is intertwined with that of Greater Manchester, with the first meeting of the TUC taking place in 1868 at the Mechanics Institute on Princess Street in the City Centre.
Council recognises the improvements to the quality of life of working people in Oldham and across the United Kingdom that have been delivered by Trade Union campaigning, particularly on pay, conditions and safety at work.
Council resolves to:
· Write to the General Secretary of the TUC, Frances O’Grady, reaffirming this Council’s commitment to Trade Unionism.
· Offer a venue and support to the North West TUC who themselves are organising a programme of events across the region to ensure that the anniversary is marked in Oldham.
Minutes:
Motion 1 – Modern Slavery
Councillor Moores MOVED and Councillor Haque seconded the following MOTION:
“This Council notes:
· Though slavery was abolished in 1833, there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. Figures from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) suggest that there are more than 40 million people in modern slavery across the world, with nearly 25 million held in forced labour.
· There were 3805 victims of modern slavery identified in the UK in 2016. A rising number but still well below the 10,000 and 13,000 potential victims estimated by the Home Office.
· Modern Slavery is happening nationwide. Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce, deceive, and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment. This can include sexual and criminal exploitation.
This Council believes
1. That action needs to be taken to raise awareness of modern slavery and the fact that it is happening all over the UK.
2. That the current support for victims is not sufficient and needs to go beyond the 45 days they are currently given by the government.
3. That Councils have an important role to play in ensuring their contracts and supplies don’t contributed to modern day slavery and exploitation.
Councillor Mushtaq spoke in support of the Motion.
Councillor Sykes spoke in support of the Motion.
Councillor McCann spoke in support of the Motion.
Councillor Hudson spoke in support of the Motion.
Councillor Hudson MOVED and Councillor Fielding SECONDED the MOTION be put to the vote.
On being put to the VOTE, 41 votes were cast in FAVOUR of proceeding to the VOTE and 8 VOTES were cast AGAINST with 0 ABSTENTIONS. The MOTION was therefore MOVED to the VOTE.
Councillor Moores exercised his right of reply.
On being put to the vote, the MOTION was CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
RESOLVED that:
The Co-operative Party’s Charter against Modern Slavery to ensure our procurement practices don’t support slavery be adopted.
Oldham Council would:
1. Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply.
2. Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.
3. Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.
4. Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.
5. Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
6. Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing system which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
7. Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.
8. Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.
9. Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.
10. Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually.
Motion 2 – Housing Strategy
Councillor Brownridge MOVED and Councillor Chauhan SECONDED the following motion:
“This Council notes that whilst the government’s recognition that the housing market is broken is welcome there is grave concern about the concentration on increased numbers alone. It is essential that the policy supports the creation of good quality homes that meet the needs of local communities. In Oldham the existing supply is unbalanced with a heavy preponderance of properties in the lowest council tax bands and at the same time a lack of actual affordability with almost half the population only being able to afford social rents. The numbers on the housing waiting list are growing as are the number of people who are homeless and who are rough sleepers.
Current Government policy promotes continued growth in house prices to support continued consumer spending and this does not address the accommodation issues in areas of lower property values. This is exacerbated by the fact that social housing supply is at its lowest level since the 1930s and owner occupation is decreasing. Due to the increase in prices the measure of need based on income may not longer be appropriate both because the levels of income need to be higher to be eligible for a mortgage but also because many jobs are no longer secure.
The Council believes that the current strategy to increase numbers is not appropriate for areas like Oldham with low property and land values and Government’s proposals to amend the planning system undermines our desire to improve the quality of accommodation and the local environment. Government also proposes penalties against Local Authorities if housing numbers are not delivered, failing to recognize that while Councils determine planning applications, private companies are largely responsible for building houses.”
Councillor McCann spoke in support of the MOTION.
Councillor Brownridge did not exercise her right of reply.
On being put to the vote, the MOTION was CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
RESOLVED that: (CHANGE TO MINUTED RESOLUTIONS)
· Lobbying be continued through the borough’s MPs and the LGA for a formal recognition that new housing must meet the needs of the local community by including a wide range of tenures and to resist the attempt of Government to impose in appropriate penalties on local authorities
· The GMCA’s efforts to secure financial assistance for the remediation of previously developed land which is often not financially viable in areas of low value without this subsidy be supported.
· The Government be urged to recognise that the planning system has an important role to play in protecting the quality of new housing and of the wider environment but new homes cannot be delivered by the planning system alone.
Motion 3 – The TUC
The Mayor informed the meeting that the time limit for this item had expired. Councillor Fielding as MOVER of the Motion and Councillor Hewitt as SECONDER of the Motion requested the Council permit the following motion be rolled over for discussion at the next Council meeting.
“The Council notes that the 150th anniversary of the TUC is in June 2018. Council also notes that the history of the TUC is intertwined with that of Greater Manchester, with the first meeting of the TUC taking placed in 1868 at the Mechanics Institute on Princess Street in the City Centre.
Council recognises the improvements to the quality of life of working people in Oldham and across the United Kingdom that have been delivered by Trade Union campaigning, particularly on pay, conditions and safety at work.
Council resolves to:
· Write to the General Secretary of the TUC, Frances O’Grady, reaffirming this Council’s commitment to Trade Unionism.
· Offer a venue and support to the North West TUC who themselves are organising a programme of events across the region to ensure that the anniversary is marked in Oldham.”
RESOLVED that the Motion be rolled over to the Council meeting to be held on 11th July 2018.