Churches’ Industrial Group Birmingham

                                                                      Newsletter Spring 2007

‘Here to stay?’

The Community for Reconciliation, Bromsgrove was an excellent venue to think about the issues of migrant workers, situated as it is on the edge of both the urban and the rural.

The experience of migrant work is very varied, both for the workers and for host communities. To cover that range, participants shared their own knowledge and speakers from Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Birmingham Citizens and rural projects in Hereford and Norfolk, outlined their experience.

Key issues identified included the variety of experience of migrant workers, the vulnerability of some migrants, the skills gaps in the West Midlands and the impact of migrant workers on low skilled indigenous people, the impacts for sending communities and the possibility of an amnesty for illegal workers.

In reflecting on the complexity, the

Rt. Revd. David Walker identified four themes

• Engagement – informed, in touch and in conversation
• Hospitality 
• Community and the role of faithful / social capital
• A Living Wage

Migrant work is a theme for CIGB in 2007 and discussion at the end of the day included

possibly supporting the Birmingham  Citizen’s campaign ‘Strangers into Citizens’ and working with others in the West Midlands on these issues.

CIGB’s AGM on the evening of June 13th at Aston University Business School will continue to explore the theme of migrant work with speaker

Christien Van Den Anker.

Details to follow

Little known : hugely important

Ask most residents of Birmingham and Solihull about the Regional Economic Strategy [RES] and they probably don’t know it exists.

The current aim of the strategy is that ‘The West Midlands is recognized as a world-class region in which to invest, work, learn, visit and live and the most successful in creating wealth to benefit all of its people” .

The document  then makes policy statements about a whole range of issues – access to wealth and economic inclusion, sustainable economic development, enterprise, skills, innovation, economic activity [ having a job], infrastructure, quality of life, the role of places.

The RES is currently being reviewed and people are asked to comment on policy options. It can seem rather high level, but it should have real impacts on how public money is spent developing the local economy, of which we’re all a part.

CIGB has sent in a response. If you’d like to do the same go to http://www.advantagewm.co.uk/phase-3.html

Richard Heard MD

Birmingham International Airport

CIGB has provided chaplains to Birmingham airport for many years and Peter Vella, an airport Director, is on our management council. So, it was with great shock and great sadness that we  learnt of the sudden death of Richard Heard MD, when a tree struck his car on January 18th.

Richard appreciated the work of the airport chaplains with both staff and passengers and we, in turn, appreciated him. He was a man of great integrity, with a ready smile, and a concern for people even within the difficult decision making that came with his role.

Richard chaired CIGB’s ‘Business meets the Bishop’ event in December briefing the new Bishop of Birmingham, on local economic issues. It was an excellent event. The traffic that evening was dreadful and Richard arrived late, but out came the smile and we began.

Richard’s approach to life, and to work, might be summed up by Jerry Blacketts’ in put that evening. As Chief Executive of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Jerry spoke of the importance of values in business. People are not motivated by

money alone but by the culture, values and ethic of the workplace. That’s what Richard was building at BIA.

The chaplains have been working to support staff since Richard’s death – a privilege but one we’d rather not have.

If you would be interested to know more about workplace chaplains – either because you might become one or because your organisation may be interested in having one. Please contact the CIGB office

Dates to remember

March 8th – International Women’s Day

On March 8th 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights. By 1910, IWD was established. Gender inequalities at work persist in the UK, despite equality legislation, and internationally it is common for women to be disadvantaged in economic terms. IWD is an opportunity to remember women’s contribution and to consider how we might build a more just economy. www.internationalwomensday.com   

April 28th – Workers Memorial Day