Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee
25 July 2007
Agenda Item: 07/52-1
Report on UK Stewards, Safety Representatives and Learning Representatives
Committees
1.
Purpose
To provide an update on the activities of the three national representative
committees.
2.
Background
Each of the three committees comprises an elected representative from each of
the 12 Boards in the UK. As of January 2006, the minutes of committee
meetings are being published on the RCN website.
3.
Committee Reports
UK Stewards Committee:
 The committee met on 05 June 2007 and topics of discussion included the
NHS Pension, Congress 2007, the Joint Representatives’ Conference, the
assignment of branches by Membership Services, the RCN expenses
policy, and marketing at recruitment events.
 The re-election of Chair, Dougie Lockhart and Vice Chair, Kath Fawcett
was confirmed.
 Josie Irwin attended the meeting to update the Committee on pay,
industrial action and the plan for the indicative ballot.
 Committee members Tracey Budding and Mike Southern gave an update
on their work on the Political Leadership programme.
 Committee members have participated in the following working groups:
Branch Review Group; Professional Development Framework Action
Group; UK Committee on Representatives’ Learning and Development;
England Implementation Group for Future Activist; and Congress Voting
Review Group.
UK Safety Representatives Committee:
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The committee met on 16 May 2007 and topics of discussion included
Congress 2007, the Joint Representatives’ Conference, regional reports,
and the Activist Zone.
The Committee welcomed Stephen Tuitt who joins as the Eastern region
representative.
The Committee discussed the Congress Activist dinner and formulated a
plan for action for the Joint Committees’ meeting to take place on 29 June
2007.
Kim Manley attended the meeting to give an update and get feedback on
the RCN Learning and Development Strategy.
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Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee
25 July 2007
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Agenda Item: 07/52-1
Sheelagh Brewer gave the Senior Employment Relations Adviser’ s report,
covering Partnership in Occupational Health and Safety, the update of the
English Health and wellbeing handbook, HSE inspections, lone workers’
report, violence, the clinical waste publication, and the Safer Needles
Network.
Committee members have participated in the following working groups: UK
Committee for RCN Representatives’ Learning and Development; Branch
Review Group; Professional Membership Structure Action Group; England
Implementation Group for Future Activist; and Congress Voting Review
Group.
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UK Learning Representatives Committee:
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The committee met on 29 March 2007 and topics of discussion included
Congress 2007; charging for RCN publications; the Learning
Representative role: publicising good practice; the RCN Learning and
Diversity strategy; the Union Learning fund bid; Joint Representatives’
conference; donations to the labour party and Congress.
Presentations and updates were received on the following subjects: Union
Learn supporting the RCN; Foresight training; and the online DTI
Consultation.
The Committee stressed that lack of consultation on the issue of the
Activist dinner at Congress should be seen as a learning point. Pauline
Pearsall is writing to the Chair of Congress to express this point.
Positive feedback was received on the January 2007 Learning
Representatives’ conference.
Concerns were raised around the issue of the Knowledge and Skills
Framework and Billy Drysdale volunteered to investigate raising this as an
emergency Congress resolution.
The Committee agreed that an ANS representative may sit in the meetings
as an invited person.
Committee members have participated in the following working groups: UK
Committee for Representatives’ Learning and Development; Branch
Review Group; Professional Membership Structure Action Group; England
Implementation Group for Future Activist; expert reference group for the
Nursing Knowledge Toolkit (a joint project between Connecting for Health
and the RCN) and the Congress Voting Review Group.
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Joint Committee Meeting
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The UK Stewards, Safety Representatives and Learning Representatives
met for their annual Joint Committee meeting on 29 June 2007.
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The Committees received employment relations updates from the three
Senior Employment Relations Advisers, Karen Didovich, Sheelagh
Brewer and Gerry O’Dwyer.
The Committee workplans were reviewed.
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Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee
25 July 2007
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Agenda Item: 07/52-1
Topics of discussion included the Activist dinner at Congress 2007,
Representative of the Year, and Committee roles at the Joint
Representatives’ Conference.
Sandra James gave a presentation on the Branch Review.
Kevin Austerberry led a workshop session on defining professional trade
union activity.
Sharon Palfrey presented an update on the ongoing Activist Zone work.
A presentation was made to Sheelagh Brewer who is retiring this year.
Minutes of the meeting have been published on the RCN Activist Zone.
Joint Representatives’ Conference
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4.
Over 220 representatives attended the conference which took place on
29/30 June 2007.
Presentations were received on nursing politics and the media, pay and
the indicative ballot, legal issues, the RCN Future Activist programme,
the Scotland- Malawi project, what partnership means for unions and
how representatives can influence.
Delegates were given the opportunity to attend three workshops. Topics
covered were: How to be a diversity champion, the RCN’s eLibrary, KSF
issues, Developing workforce information, Violence and Time off.
Representative of the Year certificates were presented at dinner.
Reports on the conference will appear in the RCN Magazine, in Activate
and on the Activist Zone.
Resources, costs and implications
Funding for the committees is covered by current budgets.
5.
Recommendations
The committee is asked to note this report.
Originators: Sheelagh Brewer, Senior Employment Relations Adviser
Input from: Sharon Palfrey, Interim Representative Support Officer
05 July 2007
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