Record of Decisions
WOMEN MEMBERS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
19TH NOVEMBER 2003

The following is a record of decisions from the women members AGM 2003. There were eleven resolutions ruled out of order by the Standing Orders Committee.

RECORD OF DECISIONS

MOTIONS CARRIED

1. A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE

This Annual General Meeting acknowledges that the 1967 abortion law was a huge step forward but it does not go far enough. The current law does not allow a woman the right to choose, the grounds for abortion are badly defined, the system will delay abortion, it does NOT ensure adequate provision of abortion services and it does not extend to Northern Ireland. This Annual General Meeting demands that we actively support campaigns such as the NAC and the Trade Union Campaign Voice for Choice.

This Annual General Meeting also supports these principles :

• To change the law to allow women the right to decide for themselves whether or not they are ready for motherhood up to and including 14 weeks of pregnancy
• To make abortion available with only one doctors approval from 15-24 weeks of pregnancy
• To place a duty on doctors to declare their conscientious objection to abortion and to refer to another doctor immediately
• To extend this amended act to Northern Ireland
• To place a duty on the National Health Service to provide adequate abortion service for local needs
• To establish sexual health and abortion information in Trade Union Publications

Region 10

2. FLEXIBLE WORKING, PART TIME AND JOB SHARE

This Annual General demands that where our Member’s request to have
flexible, part time or Job Share arrangements that it is not to the detriment of the establishment or the individual members concerned. The Member is not to be used to cover shortfalls in establishment using overtime, shift swaps at short notice or any
other scheme recommended as family friendly. Brigade Officials to be fully involved with all requests form our members when they ask to change to family friendly working arrangements and Region and FBU Head Office to monitor these requests.

Region 13

3. FLEXIBLE WORKING

This Women’s National Committee notes the employer’s acceptance of the ‘Bain’ proposals to impose shifts which appear ‘Flexible’ simply to cover establishment deficiencies.

We support flexible working for the benefit of women, men and their families as agreed by the individual and the employer within a framework negotiated by the FBU.

Region 11

4. CHILD CARE

In line with Family Friendly Policies this Annual General meeting demands that the Executive Council continues to insist that brigades recognise the urgency of providing access to suitable and affordable childcare and dominates all decisions made affecting their working life, often detrimentally to the members career development.. The provision of a child-minder or shared crèche has and is used in other “family friendly” countries and since our employers and the government have claimed recently that they are “family friendly” surely this is the best time to demand that they honour their claim.

Region 1
Amendment by Region 11

5. CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

This Annual General Meeting is appalled at the employers’ continual use, of the need to recruit more women in the Fire Service as an excuse to make changes to our conditions of service, in particular the shift patterns. This is immediately discredited by the fact the Emergency Fire Control Staff, predominantly women, have enjoyed this shift pattern for the past 25 years, and which assists with family life.

We call upon the Executive Council to immediately make clear to the employers that, to use women as an excuse for any proposed detrimental changes to our conditions of service is not only cowardly but transparently divisive.

Region 9

6. NATIONAL WOMENS SCHOOL

This Annual General Meeting demands that the National Education Committee include provision for further Women’s Schools to be held in different Regions as an integral part of the National Education Programme.

This will remove many obstacles that prevent our Women Members attending Women’s Schools and it will offer more choice and therefore more Education for all of our Members.

Region 13

7. ACTIONS ON RESOLUTIONS

This Annual General Meeting/Conference recognises that when resolutions and draft policies are passed through national committees to the Executive Council, there are no time limits set by the Executive Council for them to be actioned.

Therefore, we call on the Executive Council to ensure that when a resolution and draft policy submitted by the National Women’s Committee is passed and agreed at Executive Council level, it will be acted upon within twelve months and that interim quarterly progress reports will be made to the National Women’s Committee as a matter of urgency.

Region 9
Amended by Region 11

EMERGENCY RESOLUTION 1

UNITED FAMILIES AND FRIENDS

This Annual General Meeting acknowledges that following the outcome of the Roger Sylvester Inquest on the 03 October 2003, United Family and Friends will require support and funds to enable them to bring about a private prosecution against the police officers who have been accused of unlawfully killing Roger Sylvester.

The National Women’s Annual General Meeting calls on the Executive Council to use their influence to encourage FBU regions to affiliate to United Family and Friends.

Region 1

RESOLUTION 1 – A WOMANS RIGHT TO CHOOSE

AMENDMENT WITHDRAWN

Line 11 delete : “from 15 – 24” add : “after 15”

In Line 17 after “service” add “to include the provision of counselling/support network before and after the abortion has taken place”.

Delete rest of line.

At end of resolution, add new bullet point:

“Once these principles are all in place to lower the approval period from 15 – 24 weeks of pregnancy to 20 weeks”.

Region 11

Delegates Attending

Michele Baker
Suzanne Fryer
Jo Winrow Jones
Sian Griffiths
Sally Harper
Jayne Bevis
Pauline Layhe
Wendy Miller
Staci Leach
Patsy Griffiths
Alison Wood
Fran Walsh
Emma Carr
Sharon Peverett
Janette Ferguson

In Attendance

Executive Council Member - Ms V Knight
National Chair - Ms D Feltham
National Secretary - Ms K Baigent

© Fire Brigades Union
Bradley House, 68 Coombe Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT2 7AE
Published by Fire Brigades Union National Women's Committee