8/10/2019 Note of Meeting 24.11.2014

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RED LABOUR: NOTE OF MEETING ON NOVEMBER 24, 2014

The meeting took place at Gateshead Civic Centre.

Apologies were received from Geoff Walker and Joan Hewitt. Five members were

present.

Michael lo!d took the Chair. The meeting disc"ssed the following iss"es.

1. The Newsletter. #t was agreed that the newsletter was an e$cellent

innovation and the contrib"tions seem to have been well%received. #t was

agreed that an article on the wage rates for apprenticeships wo"ld be written

&see below'. #t was also agreed that an article e$posing the distortions in the

(ta$ spend) letter sent o"t to all *A+, ta$pa!ers wo"ld be written &see below'.

2. The NH.-isc"ssion took place on the H/0 partl! in view of the recent

p"blicit! s"rro"nding the ,fford 1ill passing its /econd 2eading in the 34

*arliament and the work done b! Geoff Walker on the amo"nt of contracts

being let b! CCGs and Tr"sts. #n disc"ssion it was remarked that whatever

Clive ,fford seemed to believe simpl! stating in a 34 Act that TT#* wo"ld not

appl! to the H/ will not prevent the applicabilit! of a TT#* Treat! to the H/.

,$emption can onl! be achieved b! inserting the wide%ranging and specific

cla"se which M had drafted &or one similar' in the main bod! of the Treat!

itself.

!. The M"#"$%$ &'(e.A disc"ssion took place on the minim"m wage and itsrole in increasing 34 real wage growth and rectif!ing social in5"stice. #t was

agreed that the most effective wa! to restore economic growth and start to

redress social ine6"alit! was to increase the minim"m wage0 increase p"blic

sector pa!0 and overall achieve a grad"al b"t s"bstantial increase in real

wages generall!. The minim"m wage sho"ld be raised immediatel! to 78.99

per ho"r and then ann"all! b! a m"ltiple of the average wage. The minim"m

wage sho"ld be the same rate at :8 as at ;: and the rates for apprenticeships

from :8 sho"ld be at the minim"m wage rate. This polic! wo"ld also increase

ta$ reven"es and hence red"ce the b"dget deficit witho"t f"rther a"sterit!

meas"res.

4. A#) Other B%s"#ess. Michael lo!d indicated that he had filmed a sborne (ta$ spend) letter wo"ld be e$posed as grossl! misleading in its

attempt to s"ggest that almost ;?@ of direct ta$ reven"e was spent on

(welfare).

*. D'te + Ne-t Meet"#(. The ne$t meeting wo"ld be held on M+#'), /'#%'r)2th201*. The ven"e wo"ld be notified later.