Agenda item

To consider the following motions:

 

·  Transport in Rotherhithe

·  The power to set a real living wage

·  Blacklisting.

MOTION 1 – TRANSPORT IN ROTHERHITHE(See page 5 of the main agenda)

 

This motion was considered prior to the guillotine having fallen.

 

Councillor Kath Whittam, seconded by Councillor Bill Williams, moved the motion.

 

Following debate (Councillors Victoria Mills, David Hubber, James Okosun, Damian O’Brien, Eliza Mann, Richard Livingstone and Anood Al-Samerai), the motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  That council assembly recognises that there are significant traffic problems on the Rotherhithe peninsula, with the high demand for river crossings making the Rotherhithe area particularly susceptible to congestion from tunnel related traffic, which is detrimental to the local environment, particularly air quality, and can make local trips difficult.

 

2.  That council assembly further recognises that the significant growth planned in the Canada Water area, including an increase in new homes and job opportunities, will require a significant investment in transport infrastructure.

 

3.  That council assembly therefore calls on Transport for London and the Mayor of London to:

 

·  Upgrade the existing public transport network, including increasing capacity on the overground, tube and buses

 

·  Take action to tackle congestion on Jamaica Road

 

·  Enhance pedestrian and cycle links and bring forward plans for a pedestrian and cycling bridge from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf to alleviate congestion

 

·  Extend the cycle hire scheme to Rotherhithe

 

·  Explore means of integrating river transport into the network to make sure that residents in Rotherhithe get the full benefit from the river as a mode of transport

 

·  Address in a full and proper manner the concerns and recommendations raised by the council in relation to the proposals for the new Silvertown Tunnel, which will impact negatively on the quality of life of a vast number of people who live and work in the borough.

 

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.

 

MOTION 2 – THE POWER TO SET A REAL LIVING WAGE(See pages 5 – 6 of the main agenda)

 

Councillor Leo Pollak, having declared a pecuniary interest in this item, left the room for the debate and vote upon the motion.

 

This motion was considered prior to the guillotine having fallen.

 

Councillor Hamish McCallum, seconded by Anood Al-Samerai, moved the motion.

 

Councillors Gavin Edwards, seconded by Councillor Maisie Anderson, moved Amendment B.

 

Following debate (Councillor Ian Wingfield), at 10.03pm the Mayor announced that the guillotine had fallen.

 

The guillotine having fallen Amendment B was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

The substantive motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  That council assembly welcomes the cross-party support for the London Living Wage since the motion agreed by council in November 2008 and the steps taken in Southwark in 2012 to introduce the London Living Wage for all staff, including contractors as well as the council’s directly employed staff.

 

2.  That council assembly notes the progress in implementing the London Living Wage policy in Southwark and the proposal for a Living Wage Zone as part of the Canada Water regeneration area.

 

3.  That council assembly welcomes the council’s on-going work to support the Living Wage, including:

 

•  Celebrating employers who are promoting and encouraging the practice of paying the Living Wage to apprentices through our Southwark apprenticeship standards.

 

•  Working with organisations across London to inform the development of new policy and activities relating to Living Wage through the upcoming Living Wage Symposium.

 

•  Supporting the creation of a London Living Wage zone at More London.

 

4.  That council assembly further notes that Preston City Council in partnership with 'Unlock Democracy' is considering submitting the following proposal to government under the Sustainable Communities Act:

 

'To delegate power to local authorities to compel all private and public sector employers within their area to pay the Living Wage. The rate of the Living Wage to be determined in accordance with the rates set by the Living Wage Foundation for London and outside London.'

 

5.  That council assembly believes that this power could reduce in-work poverty in Southwark and benefit the local economy through a multiplier effect in each local authority area it is introduced.

 

6.  That council assembly further believes that as part of the negotiating process with the relevant Secretary of State, all or some of the benefits to government through increased income tax revenue and reduced welfare spending be used to enforce the new power and help local businesses which may struggle to move to the new rate. The case should also be strongly made for additional resources, so that councils can enforce the Living Wage effectively.

 

7.  That council assembly therefore calls on the cabinet to express its interest in joining Preston City Council in any collective submission to the government under the Sustainable Communities Act, and to work together with the Unlock Democracy campaign to gain support for the proposal from other councils in London and across the country.

 

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.

 

MOTION 3 – BLACKLISTING(See pages 6 – 7 of the main agenda)

Councillors Gavin Edwards, Paul Fleming and Victoria Mills, having declared  a pecuinary interest in this item, left the room prior to the motion being formally moved and  voted upon.

As part of the programme motion the meeting agreed to change ‘Constructing Association’ to ‘Consulting Association’, in paragraph 2 of the motion..

 

The guillotine haven fallen, Councillors Richard Livingstone and Mark Williams, formally moved and seconded the motion.

 

The motion was put to the vote and declared to be carried.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  That council assembly is aware of the destructive practice of blacklisting that occurred for decades in the UK construction industry and the disastrous effects it had on many of the workers that were included on the blacklist.

 

2.  That council assembly notes that most of the workers on the blacklist of The Consulting Association were trade unionists, many of them were blacklisted for raising legitimate health and safety concerns with their employer.

 

3.  That council assembly recognise that because of this administration’s commitment to new affordable housing, lots of new homes are being built in Southwark, which is also providing opportunities for local people in construction work. We take the safety of our residents, staff and contractors very seriously and believe strongly that people who raise health and safety concerns should not be blighted for their working life through blacklisting.

 

4.  That council assembly notes that the council already has a process in place for Major Works contracts to identify any companies that have made use of the blacklist in the past to ensure that they have put in place actions to prevent such behaviour recurring and to compensate those victimised by the practice. Council assembly believes that this good practice should be adopted in its other contracts.

 

5.  That this council is determined that blacklisting should never occur again and calls on cabinet to:

 

·  Make provision in Southwark Council’s public tendering procedures to exclude blacklisters from public contracts if they are either still blacklisting or have not put into place genuine actions agreed by the blacklisted workers or their representatives concerning past blacklisting activities

 

·  Make provision in the council’s terms and conditions for public works that provide for the termination of the contract if a supplier is found to engage in blacklisting activities during the course of that contract

 

·  Make provision to include blacklisting and trade union membership in the pre-qualification questionnaire for new construction contracts.

 

Note: This motion will be referred as a recommendation to the cabinet for consideration.