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 enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
7. Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.
8. Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.
9. Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.
10. Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually.
Motion in the name of Councillor Buglass
That this council resolves to:
1. Incorporate the issue of use of plastics by contractors, suppliers and third parties, into existing environmental considerations for the decision-making process regarding the granting or renewing of contracts, in particular working with Authorities involved in the STAR procurement scheme to incorporate that consideration into that procurement policy.
2. Pledge to end council use of single use and non-recyclable plastics by identifying existing plastic use and switching to alternatives either as soon as possible or when contracts come up for renewal.
3. Work with and lobby local manufacturers, retailers and supermarkets with a view to encouraging them to reduce and ideally eliminate their use of single use and non-recyclable plastics including with a media campaign, working closely with the Artisan markets and promoting a water bottle refill scheme.
4. Promote an education drive for residents that promotes the primacy of individual responsibility for reducing residual (in particular plastic) waste including:
• The pivotal role and effectiveness of consumer power and advice on changing purchasing habits to reduce household plastic waste and put pressure on manufacturers/retailers.
• The importance to the environment of reducing plastic waste.
• The importance to council taxpayers of reducing residual/plastic waste
• Tips for reducing the volume of household residual waste (reduce, reuse, crush etc.) to help families who find it harder to fit their waste into the residual bin.
5. Write to the Environment Secretary acknowledging policy changes in regard to banning microbeads in cosmetics, proposals to ban plastic straws and the creation of the UK Plastics Pact as steps forward, but stating that much more must be done including: (a) introducing a nationwide ban on single use plastics and non-recyclable packaging by 2025 and (b) further commitments to tackle microplastic pollution in UK waterways including:
• Regular monitoring of microplastic levels in UK waterways.
• New regulation to end microplastics in effluent from industrial sources.
• Action to reduce microfibres from clothing entering waterways including improving wastewater treatment, introducing filters on washing machines and banning clothing materials that generate the most plastic fibres.
• Using new technology to clean up existing microplastic pollution in UK waterways.
• Exploring ways to reduce the generation of microplastics from vehicle tyres.
Motion in the name of Councillor.A Holland
That this Council states its opposition to the closure of high-street banks throughout the UK and especially in Tameside.
Last month, the Royal Bank of Scotland announced the closure of 54 branches in January, 2019, with the loss of 258 jobs. This news came only months after RBS said it would shut 162 banks and shed 792 jobs. In Tameside, it means there will be no RBS presence on our high streets after the Droylsden branch closes next year.
Across the country, nearly 3,000 banks and building society branches have shut since 2015 – a rate of almost 60 a month.
The banking corporations need to understand the importance banks play within our communities. It is unrealistic to ask traders to travel to neighbouring towns to deposit their takings. Many people, especially the elderly, are uncomfortable with internet banking. There are times when face-to-face meetings are necessary for advice or to carry out business.
This Council calls on the banks to end their programme of branch closures and to reinvest in the communities they are supposed to serve. It also calls on them to recognise the limitations of online banking, especially in light of scams and well-publicised systems failures.