Issue - meetings

To consider the following motions:

Motion in the name of Councillor Warrington

That this Council believes that:

·                Everyone is equal irrespective of their race or religion;

·                That all forms of hate crime must be condemned; and

·                Cross-party support for combating anti-Semitism in all its forms is to be welcomed;

Council subsequently note with great concern the rise in anti-Semitism in recent years across the UK.

In recognising that anti-Semitism continues to be a problem in our Country, Council agrees to formally adopt the working definition of anti-Semitism agreed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and adopted by the UK Government, the Labour Party, Scottish and Welsh Governments, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and numerous other Councils across the country.

This Council therefore agrees to adopt the following definition of anti-Semitism:

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities”

Motion in the name of Councillor Cartey

That this Council notes although Slavery was abolished in the UK in 1833, there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. Figures from the International Labour Organisation 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 inhuman treatment. This can include sexual and criminal exploitation.

This Council believes that action needs to be taken to raise awareness of modern slavery and the fact that it is happening all over the UK. That the current support for victims is not sufficient and needs to go beyond the 45 days they are currently given by the government. That councils have an important role to play in ensuring their contracts and supplies don’t contribute to modern day slavery and exploitation.

Tameside Council will:

1.       Ensure those involved in corporate procurement 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  ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.