Received from: The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA)
Congress notes:
i. trade unions rely on informational picketing, a form of public demonstration done for the purpose of educating the public to raise awareness about workplace issues
ii. heightened public awareness about workplace issues is often critical to achieving successful resolutions without having to resort to strike action
iii. certain workplaces, especially those managed by quangos (quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations), have the ability to restrict the locations at which informational picketing can take place, by making bylaws with the effect of law
iv. quangos are administrative bodies separate from government who are legally empowered to manage public services
v. onerous security restrictions imposed by quangos on workplaces means that informational picketing is often only permitted to take place at locations far removed from the public affected by that service
vi. this effectively prevents trade unions from raising public awareness and education through informational picketing
vii. security and safety risks posed by informational picketing are minimal and can be managed – even in locations affected by heightened security and safety concerns
viii. it is anti-democratic to so limit the ability of trade unions to engage in Informational Picketing.
Congress calls upon the TUC and its affiliates to:
a. campaign to change the law governing quangos to lift unnecessary restrictions on trade unions engaging in informational picketing
b. demand that such changes be made within the lifetime of this parliament
c. call upon quangos to immediately remove any restrictions contained in their bylaws that impose anti-democratic restrictions on informational picketing.
Association of Flight Attendants