The future of the ETUC

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The ETUC needs to be more effective for working people and less bureaucratic and reactive. What the ETUC does to hold the Commission to account and be the voice of unions in its consultations, is immensely valuable.

But it isn't the most important job we can do, which is to make sure Europe - the institutions and the employers - don't just listen to us, but do what our members need and want.

We ourselves need to take a leaf out of Jeremy Corbyn's message to the Labour Party - we've got be nicer and more respectful to each other. We ourselves need to engage with the secretariat so they know what we want and then we should trust them to get on with it.

Our institutions - conferences, committees, executive - need to be more efficient and more strategic, rather than debating societies and drafting groups.

The ETUC and its affiliates have many political connections - with the socialists, the greens and the left of course, but also with liberals and Christian democrats - that is a strength we haven't exploited enough.

The ETUC needs to be better at campaigning, social media and lobbying European institutions like the Parliament and the Commission and affiliates need to get better at campaigning and lobbying nationally. And we need to co-ordinate so we are campaigning & lobbying on the same issues: like trade, the right to strike and collectively bargain, equality, and opposing austerity and creating decent jobs with fair pay.

And finally, we need to reflect and project the movement we lead. More female faces, more black faces, more young faces. More actual workers telling their stories, and fewer officials making pronouncements.