Issue - meetings

To consider any Notices of Motion that have been received in accordance with paragraph 1.30 to 1.34 of the Council Procedure Rules.

Consideration was given to the following Notices of Motion, which had been submitted in accordance with the Council’s Procedure Rules.

1.      Protect the Right of Communities to Object to Individual Planning Applications

Proposed by Councillor R Vernon and Seconded by Councillor C Bulman

This Council believes planning works best when developers and the local community work together to shape local areas and deliver necessary new homes; and therefore, calls on the Government to protect the right of communities to object to individual planning applications.

RESOLVED:

That the Motion be referred to the appropriate Committee.

2  ‘Fire and Re-Hire’

Proposed by Councillor L Smith and Seconded by Councillor C Naismith

This Council notes;

1      1 in 10 workers have experienced ‘fire and rehire’ - told to reapply for their jobs on worse pay, terms and conditions or face the sack, with BME workers facing this at twice the rate of white workers, since March 2020 (TUC research, January 2021). A quarter of all workers have experienced a worsening of their terms and conditions – including a cut in their pay - since the pandemic began.

2        That while the prime minister has called the practice “unacceptable” he has continually refused to take action to outlaw the practice, raising concerns that he will not intervene in this race to the bottom as an escalating number of employers across all sectors using our weak employment protections employers as they force their staff to accept worse terms and conditions, leaving many having to work longer hours and for lower pay, with what can be devastating consequences for workers and their families.

3      Even before the pandemic, 1 in 9 workers – 3.8 million people – were already ‘insecure’, meaning they did not have access to basic rights at work and could be dismissed at will; including those on zero-hour contracts and agency workers.

This Council therefore resolves to:

·      Seek to ensure local residents are protected against such employers and agrees to ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister demanding he outlaw fire and rehire and act now to keep his promise to local residents to protect their employment terms and conditions.

·      Not use fire and rehire itself as an employer and to prevent its use by council contractors, and to ensure the Council has a procurement practice that ensures we are working with contractors that have good employment, trade union, equality and environmental records.

·      Promote the increasing number of progressive local employers prioritising their employees’ standard of living and their wellbeing, work with our anchor institutions and key partners to bring forward plans to ensure all have best practice employment and to work with recognised trade unions on this.

·      Support the TUC campaign for a ‘New Deal for Working People’.

RESOLVED:

That the Motion be referred to the appropriate Committee.

3 Headquarters for Great British Railways

Proposed by Councillor J Clowes and Seconded by Councillor D Browne

This Council engages directly with the Transport Secretary Grant Schapps and prioritises  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34