TUC General Council Report 2005
Congress 2005 General Council Report
The 137th Annual Trades Union Congress. 12-15 September, Brighton
Introduction by the General secretary
The July 7 bomb attacks on London's transport system killed more than 50 people, many of them travelling to work. The TUC's initial reaction, like that of most people, was one of horror that anyone could even contemplate such destructive and terrifying acts. Our thoughts continue to be with those who lost loved ones and with those who were injured, many of whom will carry the mental and physical scars of that day for the rest of their lives.
Transport and emergency workers reacted with heroic professionalism in the aftermath of these attacks and their unions have provided strong support for those who did such outstanding work for their fellow citizens.
The bombers' intention was not just to kill and maim but also to terrify millions of people going about their daily business. The determination of working people not to give in to terror came through clearly in the days following the attacks and especially at the vigil organised by the Mayor of London in cooperation with the TUC in Trafalgar Square a week after the bombings.
As many speakers at the vigil noted, London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. People from all countries have chosen to make this their home. The bombers had no regard for the origins or beliefs of those they attacked and that in itself brought the people of London together. But as more became known about those who carried out the atrocities, lurid headlines and irrational prejudice put that unity under pressure and there were increasing numbers of reports of racist attacks, racial abuse and communities living in fear. The trade union movement is determined to combat racism and Islamophobia and we will be working with other organisations to draw communities together in opposition to extremism and violence of any kind.
At its July meeting the General Council had a full and lengthy debate about how the trade union movement should now carry forward all aspects of the work arising from the 7 July attacks and everything that has followed.
There were a number of concerns: the industrial issues - how best to protect working people in this new and more dangerous environment; the political response - looking at issues such as civil liberties and the extent to which international issues, including the war in Iraq, made attacks more likely; and community involvement - using trade union influence to counter social exclusion, particularly among young people from the black and minority ethnic groups, and to build better relations and better understanding between different groups.
Over the summer the TUC will be looking at all these elements of our response with the aim of bringing a statement to Congress setting out a positive programme of action.
Before the London bombings, the most significant event of the Congress year had been the general election of 5 May.
Although Labour's third successive election victory was as unsurprising as it was unprecedented, the result was nevertheless of immense significance for the trade union movement. Any result other than a Labour victory would have required a fundamental re-think in almost every area of our work programme.
But Labour's return to office, albeit with a reduced majority, meant that we could continue to pursue trade union priorities with real purpose and confidence including the agenda agreed at the Labour Party's National Policy Forum held at Warwick in the summer of 2004 and re-affirmed in the party's 2005 election manifesto.
Work in the wake of Warwick is covered throughout this report under the relevant subject headings. The theme, which brings all this work together, is that of ensuring a united approach involving both the Labour Party affiliates, who were party to the original decisions taken at Warwick, and the unions' who are politically independent but who have an equal interest in all aspects of public policy of importance to unions.
One issue, which came to the fore in the run up to the general election was that of public sector pensions. Earlier this year the Government put forward proposals that would have had a seriously detrimental effect on the pension rights of millions of public service workers. For some time there was a serious prospect of widespread industrial action in the run up to the election. That threat was averted by a government commitment to genuine negotiations on all aspects of the proposed reforms. After some delay, discussions are now underway with government in an attempt to resolve this issue.
The broader question of the future for pensions is one of the major political and economic issues of our time. It is the subject of a review by the Pensions Commission, chaired by Adair Turner, now Lord Turner, with our Congress President Jeannie Drake as one of the commission members. Adair Turner addressed the General Council in October and is also scheduled to speak at Congress. The General Council's own contribution to the pensions debate is contained in a special report to delegates accompanying this report.
Another issue that has been the subject of detailed study by a commission established following the Warwick policy forum, is that of women and work. We have long said that it a disgrace that, decades after the Equal Pay Act, the average woman still earns far less than the average man. Our former Congress President Margaret Prosser is chairing that commission and in advance of the publication of the commission's findings she will address Congress.
Whilst the commission has been undertaking its work we have also been undertaking our own second 'equality audit', this time with the focus on how unions are using collective bargaining to tackle the gender pay gap. The equality audit report is also before Congress as a separate document.
Last year's Congress received the report of the Strategic Review, which the General Council initiated soon after I became general secretary.
This set out our three key priorities: organising; the services we provide for unions; and our external impact.
Over the past year we have continued to give priority to these three areas of work:
On organising, we have undertaken a range of new initiatives working with unions, including the establishment of a new partnership between the Organising Academy and Newcastle College, offering a more flexible programme geared more closely to unions' needs.
Alongside this work we are strongly encouraging unions to take advantage of the new rights to information and consultation, which provide a unique opportunity to extend collective bargaining into areas unions have previously found difficult to access.
UK employment rights remain below those of many other industrialised countries and the General Council continues to press the
Government directly and through Europe to bring our standards up to the best. We are however also conscious of the need to make maximise use of those rights that are there on the statute book.
A major development over the past year in terms of services for unions, our second priority, has been the development of the concept of a union academy, bringing together the wide range of work undertaken on learning and skills for union members. This is an ambitious project and it has yet to be finalised. But its importance should not be underestimated.
In terms of external impact, the third priority, we are continuing to build on our working relations with government. We now have formal regular meetings with a number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development and we are looking to extend contacts with other ministers, alongside the specific contacts that we have from time to time on particular issues.
The state of the economy is of course a matter of major importance to trade unionists. And whilst Labour's record since 1997 is widely admired in terms of inflation and unemployment, there are still serious concerns about job losses, especially in manufacturing. We believe that, as a country, we could use public procurement positively to advance an intelligent industrial strategy that also promotes decent employment standards and we are pressing this point on the Government.
The TUC continues to work with unions at sectoral level in a variety of ways reflecting the links most suited to each sector. In some areas this has involved facilitating meetings with ministers, in others it has involved providing support for well-established inter-union bodies.
Of particular importance this year has been the award of the 2012 Olympic Games to London. This has massive implications for many sectors of the economy, from manufacturing to entertainment. At last year's Congress Lord Coe, Chairman of London 2012, made clear the value that he placed on union support for the bid and he has reinforced that following the award of the Games to London. We have begun to put in place the mechanisms to ensure that unions make the most effective contribution to the organisation of the Games and that the Games bring maximum benefits for working people, not just in East London but across the country. A report on this and our other sectoral work is contained in Chapter 4 of the report.
The past year has been one of great importance for the international trade union movement with the start of moves that will bring to an end the divisions that have limited the effectiveness of trade unions around the globe for the past half century. Guy Ryder, the former TUC staff member who is now General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, will report on these developments to Congress. The need for global unions to match the global reach of the major corporations is something that has long been recognised, soon it could become a reality. Similarly we are working closely with other national centres in Europe, through the European TUC, to promote and develop a social model in contrast to capitalism raw in tooth and claw. Our action on these and other issues in the international arena are reported in Chapter 5.
Other chapters in the report cover our important work on health and safety and the regional dimension to our work, bringing the trade union movement into the workplace in ways that are of direct relevance to people at work.
Our campaigning work has also continued to be of importance ensuring that the priorities set by Congress are given the publicity they deserve, often in imaginative and eye-catching ways - with the 'work your proper hours day' being among the best examples of getting across the trade union message about excessive working time in a way that reaches parts of the media where unions rarely register.
During the past year the death has occurred of a number of former colleagues, including former Congress President Frank Chapple, former international spokesman Ron Todd and former TUC Deputy General Secretary Ken Graham: each of them in their different ways had a major impact on trade union life in this country.
The past year has also seen the departure from the General Council of Kevin Curran, who was our lead spokesperson on Europe, and George Brumwell, former General Secretary of UCATT, who played a major role in restoring his union to good health after it had been in serious difficulties. George also made a major contribution to trade union work on health and Safety as an HSC Commissioner.
At this Congress a number of General Council colleagues are not standing for re-election. They are: Pat Hawkes, who has served since 1992 and who has led on women's issues as well as chairing the staff superannuation society; Jenny Thurston, who joined in 1999 and who has led on compensation, personal injuries and legal services; Dave Anderson, who is leaving following his election as MP for Blaydon, on which we congratulate him; Andy Gilchrist, who joined the General Council in 2000; and Matthew McGregor and Lucy Kelly who joined following last year's Congress. On behalf of the General Council I would like to wish these colleagues all the best for the future.
Finally, on a personal note I would like to thank the General Council for their support over the past year and to thank all those unions that have invited me to speak at their conferences and events.
Brendan Barber
General Secretary
August 2005.
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