Motion 131: NATIONALISE THE ENERGY INDUSTRY
Graham Jarvis from J20 Branch moving Motion 131 - This Conference notes that despite the support for nationalisation of the utilities, railways and Royal Mail in opinion polls there appears to be no political or academic debate around this subject. This conference calls on the GMB to commission studies on effective ways of bringing these services back into public or common ownership and to promote these mechanisms within the Labour Party and the academic community. 
Ken Gilberthorpe from Z13 Branch seconding Motion 131.
Nicola Sharpe speaking on behalf of the CEC on Public Ownership & Control
Motion 83: LIVING WAGE
John Russell from L65 Branch speaking on Motion 83 - This Conference, when union representatives negotiate with their companies on pay and conditions for their members, it should be union policy that the living wage is part of every claim. 
Mick Hirst from P45 Branch seconding Motion 83
Motion 210: NHS CARE PROVISION
John Kitching from B15 Branch speaking on Motion 210 - This Conference calls upon the GMB to applaud, publicise and adopt as policy the Labour Party policy in relation to the NHS.
Labour Party policy aims to keep the NHS as a public service and from “cradle to grave” as always. However, they also intend to provide health care in all settings, not just traditional settings. This will ensure that care for the elderly, disabled and all sorts of citizens will be provided for this at home, in a local authority run provision or anywhere else that the care needs to be provided under the remit “free at the point of delivery from the cradle to the grave.”
Sarah Young from S35 Branch seconding Motion 210.
Fringe Events
Today’s Fringe events included Show Racism the Red Card; Speak Up For Justice; The EU-US Trade Agreement And The Threat To Public Services; Zero Hours Contracts; Can Working Conditions In The Care Sector Really Be Improved Without Increasing Costs?; FuturePlus, Abortion Rights, Pension and Retirement Options.
Other motions up for debate and discussion during the morning session included: Fracking, Selling Off of Royal Mail, Combating Fuel Poverty, Energy Companies, Campaigning To Keep The Local High Street Shop and Shop Workers; Jobs, NHS Care Provision, Waiting Times For NHS Services and the Loss of Employment and Lowering The Age For Breast Screening.
Motion 76: EMPLOYER WHO IS ALSO THE LANDLORD
Phillip Steer from L14 Branch speaking on Motion 76 - This Conference deplores the landlord link between rented accommodation and workers who are made to stay in these ‘rented accommodations’ at a cost which undermines the National Minimum Wage and workers’ rights of freedom to live and work in the UK.
We ask that GMB lobbies government to change this practise and to work to introduce legislation to stop the employer being also the landlord and making it a condition that the workers must stay and pay for the overcrowded rented accommodation as part of their employment.
Vince Piper from R50 Branch seconding Motion 76.
Motion 78: THE SCANDAL OF EMPLOYERS’ LOW PAY AND THE BENEFIT TRAP
Sue Walker from A55 Branch speaking on Motion 78 - This Conference, many employers are costing the country millions of pounds by paying the minimum wage. The vast majority of benefits for example; Family Tax Credit and Housing Benefit are paid to hard working people.
This is unacceptable when companies like Starbucks and Amazon make millions while paying poverty wages. The government could in theory surcharge these companies for the balance of the benefits that the state pays their employees, but a simpler idea would be to argue why the living wage must become the minimum wage. We therefore call on the GMB to campaign at every level for a living wage to replace the current national minimum wage.
Maureen Taylor from C18 Branch seconding Motion 78.
Other motions up for debate and discussion during the afternoon session included: End Minimum Wage Abuse, Blacklisting, Foods Costs, Drug Reform, A Living Pension, Quality Care For The Elderly, Outrageous Call Charges, Transport, Unfair Aviation Tax, Branch Accounts Fit For Purpose and Review Of Membership Benefits.
End of Day’s Business
