Agenda item

Motion 1 - Daesh

Moved by Councillor Ashraf and Seconded by Councillor Alasia:

“This Council notes that:

·  The ‘Prevent’ Duty’, which is part of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 states that we and other local authorities have a duty to support people who are vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism or supporting extremism.

·  The group which operates in Syria and Iraq refers to itself as ‘the Islamic State’, and is also known as ISIS and ISIL in the UK.

·  In the Middle East and in several countries including Canada, France, Australia and increasingly in the UK, the Arabic term ‘Daesh’ is used instead.

·  The term Daesh has negative connotations, meaning one who crushes something underfoot or one who sows discord.

This Council believes that:

·  The organisation that refers to itself as ‘the Islamic State’ is not Islamic, nor is it a state.

·  Referring to this group as ‘the Islamic State’ helps to legitimise its poisonous propaganda campaign which is enticing vulnerable people to travel to Syria to join their group.

·  This is contrary to the Prevent duty and the work undertaken by this Council in the development and implementation of a Prevent Strategy.

This Council therefore resolves to:

·  Refer to this evil organisation as Daesh instead of Islamic State or ISIS / ISIL in all Prevent literature; and calls on other local authorities to officially use the term Daesh.”

Members spoke in support of the motion and expressed their concerns that young and vulnerable people were being targeted by the organisation.  The change was welcomed by Members and it was hoped the media would follow the Councils lead.

The motion was put to the vote by way of a show of hands and carried.

Standing orders were suspended at this juncture to allow the meeting to continue beyond 9.00pm.

Motion 2 - Trade Union Bill

Moved by Councillor Ogungbose and Seconded by Councillor McCarthy

“This Council is alarmed at the way in which the Conservative Government’s Trade Union Bill seeks to tear up the collaboration between employers and trade union members, and the potential impact this will have on the Council, as well as many other workplaces across our borough.

In its current form, the Bill is nothing short of an ideologically driven attack on the fundamental rights and freedoms of workers. It is also deliberately designed to dramatically reduce the funding to the main Party in opposition to the Government.

This Council recognises the positive contribution that trade unions and trade union members make in our workplace. We value their commitment to the delivery of good quality public services in Barking and Dagenham, especially in these challenging economic times for local authorities.

The Bill proposes a number of divisive measures that threaten workplace democracy. These include: very high thresholds for industrial ballots and even higher thresholds in certain public services; permitting the use of agency labour to substitute for striking workers; reductions in trade union facility time; a requirement for union members to ‘opt in’ to their union’s political fund every 5 years and the withdrawal of ‘check off’ union contributions in the public sector.

This Council therefore calls on the Government to scrap the Trade Union Bill and all associated regulation/secondary legislation and resolves to:

·  Continue to offer the check-off service to all members of staff in Barking and Dagenham, in spite of Government attempts to stop it. If this is not legally possible, to come up with a local plan to enable alternative methods of payment.

·  Support the continuation of trade union facility time and seek to continue, as far as possible, its own locally agreed industrial relations strategy.

·  Support the Leader of the Council in writing to the Secretary of State making it clear that local Government will not be dictated to by Whitehall, particularly with regards to check-off and facility time.

·  Clearly reaffirm Barking and Dagenham’s proud history of trade unionism and to allow employees’ representation to flourish in hard times – not to demonise workers as this Government is currently choosing to do.”

Members spoke in support of the motion, recognising the positive contribution that trade unions made to work places.  The Council had in place check-off arrangements that were easy to administer and an important part of the service.   The Council would commit to doing everything it could to continue the service if the Bill was approved.

The motion was put to the vote by way of a show of hands and carried.

Motion 3 – Right to Buy

The Chair advised Assembly that the motion had been withdrawn.

Motion 4 – Tax Avoidance

The Chair advised Assembly that the motion as detailed within the agenda could have significant financial and/or contractual issues for the Council.  In accordance with paragraphs 10.11 and 10.12, Part 2, Chapter 4 of the Council’s Constitution the motion must be accompanied by a report setting out the financial and legal implications. 

The motion was therefore adjourned without debate until the next available meeting of the Assembly.