I am very pleased to welcome you to this seventh Annual General Meeting. I hope you enjoy the meeting and the evening. Although we like to keep these meetings friendly and relaxed there is however, formal business that we must attend to.

Our strength is that we are part of a large Branch within a big Union organised in the Capital City’s ambulance service. Organisation and recruitment has been an important key to our success. Disciplined organisation within the Branch has led to professional ways we organise negotiations with the Service as well as how we represent our members. Ours is an inclusive Branch, open to anyone who is employed by the L.A.S., whatever his or her job, grade or rank. We strive for equality and diversity. The Branch is at the forefront of negotiations at every level throughout the Service as well as playing an important role on the national stage. The hard work of our representatives across the Service has been a major key to our success and I wish to place on record my sincere appreciation.

Since the last A.G.M. in March 2002 we have been busy both inside, and outside, the Service. The Branch Committee has met 10 times and the Branch Officers have had 2 extra meetings. The following is a short summary of issues and events that we have dealt with.

LAS Unison was at the forefront of negotiations to build a more constructive approach to industrial relations within the London Ambulance Service. A partnership approach that was not top down or one sided, but one that gave us, on behalf of our members, influence and control over the decisions that affects them. For instance, decisions about the quality of service to the people of London, about extra pay, about recruitment and about the future. Our support for the LAS as a public service go hand in hand with Unison’s ‘positively public’ campaign and our determination to see increased pay and better terms for all staff, over and above the national awards. The past two years has seen basic pay increases for A/E, CAC and Fleet staff. PTS and administration staff have received a one off payment. London Allowance has been increased. A payment of £100 was paid to everyone below a senior manager as a goodwill payment and enhanced overtime rates have been paid for particular shifts throughout. The securing of extra funding was attained because of a joint approach and a clear agenda of where and how the funding should be spent. The partnership agreement brings our representatives into the decision making process in a real way for the first time.

Once again the Branch has been deeply involved in sending humanitarian aid to Cuba. A third ship is due to leave Hull in the near future with more ambulances on board. The branch has worked closely with Salud International to spearhead their campaign ‘Rebuilding the Cuban Ambulance Service.’ Each ambulance decommissioned by the LAS and other Services that we have managed to take ownership of have been given a new lease of life: saving lives in Cuba. We have had financial help from other Unison branches as well as other trade unions. I would like to thank them and all our members who have given their help and support.

We are still collecting children’s books to send to South Africa in partnership with Community HEART campaign. There is a problem, however, with storage and I will send more information out in the near future.

We continue to support, by donations, the work of the Ambulance Service Workers Hardship Fund (ASWHF) and Unison Welfare. Internally we have helped members who have had difficulties and this year we hope to improve our Branch welfare facilities. Unison has excellent welfare provision and, with the Branch Welfare Officer, we will continue to explore how to tailor them to the benefit of our Branch.

We continue our work to create a safe working environment for all our members. The Branch played an important part in the launch of the ‘no excuses’ campaign that the Service has extended throughout London via the press and posters in tube stations, on buses and in hospitals, etc. Crew safety can only be achieved by sensible negotiation and a willingness to work with the Service to get things right. The Branch, with the Branch Health and Safety Officer, will continue to lead the way.

.MEMBERSHIP

Membership within the branch continues to grow. Recruitment is the life blood of our branch and union. Our representatives at local level do an excellent job in introducing new members of staff into the union. Our Senior Sector representatives meet and talk to new recruits and I, as Branch Secretary, visit as many training courses and workplaces as I can. We never forget that staff have a choice and people will join Unison if they see the work we do, the commitment we have, the open and honest way we conduct business and the respect we show to others.

The Membership Secretary has once again done a superb job in keeping the records accurate and up to date.

Our retired members section continues to grow. The Retired Members Secretary has worked hard to keep people informed and involved. Trips and dinners have been organised. Nobody retires from the Service without being invited to join and keep their links with the union and their friends.

The branch will launch a web site in the near future as well as redesigning our newsletter to all members. The web site will keep members informed of relevant Unison/LAS issues as well as the wider health agenda.

An email system is to be looked at so that members can be kept up to date with issues straight to their own PC.

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Our Branch goes from strength to strength. This is due to our commitment, honesty and hard work. Our stewards, health and safety representatives and branch officers all do an excellent job in a very difficult environment.

We are the Union. The Union protects us all and we should protect the Union.

The people that are around me make my job as Branch Secretary easier and I would like to thank them for their support and friendship.