The biennial meeting of the GFTU took place in Bournemouth on May 12 and 13. The 35 unions in the Federation decided its policy directions for the next 2 years and elected the new Executive Committee that will direct the GFTU over that period.
There were two guest speakers - Ian McCartney, one of the new Labour Ministers (Minister of State at the Department of Trade & Industry), and John Monks, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress.
The meeting considered a range of motions covering State Retirement Pensions, Employment Rights, Asbestosis, Saving our unions by building homes, Employment Protection, Sick Pay, Regional Investment, Manufacturing Industry, Domestic Violence, Deregulation orders - trade union legislation and some rule changes.
The outgoing Chairman, Ron Marron, addressed the meeting on Monday 12 May. Ron Marron is the General Secretary of the Associated Metalworkers Union.
The GCM was attended by delegations from the affiliated unions. The report covering activities in 1995 and 1996 was presented to Conference including the GFTUs Accounts.
The feeling of the Conference was upbeat in the wake of the landslide Labour election victory. The GFTU examined how it could develop its work for specialist unions in this new period up to the millennium.
The next GCM in 1999 will also be the centenary of the formation of the GFTU and this will be an important point in the Federation's existence.