President's Address to TUC Congress 2013

Speech by Trades Union Congress President Lesley Mercer

Sunday 8 September, Bournemouth

It's been a privilege and a pleasure to have been your president for the past year. The first TUC president to come from a united professional body and trade union. The first TUC president to serve alongside a woman TUC general secretary. How special is that?

I had an inkling it would be a busy year for me and I wasn't wrong. But I have found it very rewarding too, especially the opportunity to take out our core trade union messages to wider audiences - from the October 20^th rally in Hyde Park last year through to the Burston Strike School Rally in Norfolk last weekend.

In between I have chaired, addressed - and indeed eaten - my way through conferences, seminars, festivals, award ceremonies, anniversaries, equality and youth events.

It's hard to pick out highlights because in many ways everything has been a highlight, even chairing General Council meetings if you can believe that!

But my journey in the North East and Yorkshire with the TUC Austerity Uncovered bus will stay with me for a long time. I heard stories of confusion, hardship and panic. Created by the cuts. And not a Coalition politician in sight.

The opportunity to play a bigger role in the TUC's international solidarity work has been special too.

International solidarity is hardwired into the DNA of the trade union movement, and with just cause.

This year saw politicians from Northern Ireland travelling to Colombia to help with the peace process, thanks to the incredible organising efforts of Justice for Colombia. But the fact that the Colombian speaker who we were hoping to welcome to Congress this week has been detained by the authorities shows how far there is to go.

Concrete steps have been taken this year to build a Europe-wide response to the dilution of workplace rights.

And the first of the Miami 5 has finally been released from prison, celebrated by Cuba Solidarity this summer. Let's not rest until the other four men are free, back with their families.

My presidency has also brought its lighter moments.

Like waiting to be introduced to someone and seeing their eyes drift over my shoulder to see where the bloke called Leslie is.

Like speaking at the London Pride festival in June, where I felt a bit like the warm-up act for the boy band Class A. Though a very good band I have to say, as was the whole festival.

Turning to this week's conference, like all TUC presidents before me, I thought long and hard about the wording of my Congress badge. I eventually settled on 'equality, jobs and fair pay'.

Jobs and pay to echo two of the key priorities of the TUC campaign plan 'A Future that Works'.

Real jobs. Real pay. Not short term, zero-hours, low-paid, low-respect jobs.

But my badge starts with equality because I believe that this has to underpin everything we do - not in spite of the economic situation, but because of it.

I mean equality in its widest sense.

Freedom from discrimination of course.

But also freedom from income inequality, from tax inequality, from health inequality, from unequal access to justice, and from having no voice in the workplace.

The trade union movement has always stood for equality and fairness. Our challenge right now is to cut through the belief - almost fatalism - that there is no alternative to what is going on at the moment.

No alternative to the grubby spectacle of some of Britain's highest paid workers delaying their bonuses to take advantage of the Chancellor's cut in the top rate of tax? Just how it is.

Food prices rising four times faster than average pay. What can you do?

Economic recovery leaving ordinary people behind. Well, hasn't it always been that way?

No, it hasn't always been that way. And no, it doesn't have to be that way now.

Our economy can be run in a different, fairer way and the TUC Campaign Plan shows how.

When it comes to achieving a better representation in public life, we are showing the way. We have Frances at the helm at the TUC and more and more women coming up through individual unions. Not job done yet. But think how much better things would be if business, banking, the media and parliament followed our example.

And think how far we have come from the days when women coming up to the rostrum at this conference would be wolf-whistled. Who here would now dream of telling a woman who is expressing a view to 'calm down, dear'?

Before I wind up I must say a few words about my own sector, health.

When I spoke at the October 20^th rally, I quoted from the NHS constitution 'The NHS belongs to the people'.

How many of us fear that when we look back in 10 years' time, this may no longer be true?

If we want to stop the NHS being turned into just another business commodity, if we want to stop it being talked out of existence by a relentless focus on bad news, now is the time to rally behind it. Not out of self-interest. But because the NHS, like our schools, like the Royal Mail, is part of what makes us a civilised society. That's why we will be standing up for the NHS on September 29^th in Manchester.

Before I close, it is traditional for outgoing TUC presidents to say a few words of thanks, and I am no exception.

I want to thank my own union the CSP for their support and encouragement. I am proud that coinciding with my presidency, the CSP has achieved accreditation as a living wage employer, and we have finalised our first ever Apprenticeship scheme.

I want to thank my colleagues on the TUC General Council for their comradeship and advice, especially my predecessor Paul Kenny.

I want to thank my partner Graham for being my blog adviser, chauffeur and confidante. Ever a glutton for punishment, Graham is here today.

And I want to thank all of the staff at the TUC. You see behind the scenes when you are president. And in my book the people we have working for us at the TUC, out in the regions as well as in Congress House, are amazing.

I opened my address on the theme of unity and I want to end on this same theme.

We are a diverse movement. We all have our own views on how to go forward, and sometimes we disagree. But I firmly believe we are strongest when we come together and we should never forget this.

Thank you for listening. Have a great conference.