Mark Thomas
Mark Thomas
Fighting for jobs and rights
Unite took its campaigns on jobs, rights and fighting poverty to this year’s TUC conference in Brighton in September.
RECONNECT WITH COMMUNITIES
Moving a composite on the EU, Unite general secretary, Len McCluskeyurged unions to use the ensuing Brexit negotiations to reconnect with working communities and address the issues which caused so many to feel ‘left behind’ in modern Britain. Len said, “Our basic demands are no reduction in workers’ rights, no loss of jobs and an immediate end to the shameful racist backlash which has taken hold since the referendum. “We are ready to work with employers to overcome any genuine problems that may exist. But we are not prepared to see Brexit used as a smokescreen for further disinvestment from Britain. Out of the EU must not mean out of work.”
Calling upon unions to seize the challenge of Brexit, and to much applause, Len added, “This is an opportunity to reconnect with our members in abandoned communities, an opportunity to break with failed economics and to start the debate as to what sort of country we want Britain to be.”
BLACKLISTING
Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail led calls for tougher laws and a full public inquiry into blacklisting. Gail demanded “better laws and a full public inquiry into blacklisting.”
CLIMATE CHANGE
Unite and others had to oppose a motion on climate change – because it called for policies that were detrimental to workers. “Unite cannot support wording that attacks workers, that attacks union members,” argued Unite assistant general secretary Diana Holland. The motion fell.
TRADE UNION RIGHTS
Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke argued now was the perfect moment to go beyond merely fighting anti-trade union legislation and outlined what a new framework might look like.
He called for new organising rights and a return to collective bargaining for all workers, an end to bogus self-employment and above all an ‘unequivocal’ right to strike.
BASIC INCOME
Unite urged unions to consider a universal basic income as part of wider reforms to social security and to make work pay. Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner said, “We must seize this moment to ensure that the values of trade unions – of fairness, equality and decent treatment – underpin that debate.
8 uniteWORKS Autumn 2016
Tom Murphy spoke on the plight of the Kurds in Turkey; Norma Dudley, child refugees; Charlotte Upton on industrial strategy; Jayne Taylor, Brexit (Gibraltar); Mary Jo McReynolds, sexual harassment; Ruth Hayes, women and the trade union Act; Taj Salam, bus services Bill; Ivan Monckton, the Post Office; Mohammad Taj, immigration Act; Mark ‘Pasty’ Turner, saving steel industry; Abdul Tan Rashid, post-Brexit vote racist attacks; Min Gunn, NHS patient complaints; Mike Hedges, automation and jobs; Jim Kelly, Colombia; Sean McGovern, accessible transport; Alan Dobbie, junior doctors.
Find out more HERE PLUS
Young Unite members Sophie Shaw and Chris Trestrail addressed the conference and Unite rep Paul McGovern took home the TUC’s prestigious top Learning Rep award.
Unite delegates speak out
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