General Council Report 2023

4.1 Introduction 

The TUC and its affiliates continue to campaign for a better, more hopeful future for all workers. After over a decade of austerity, unions are at the forefront of calls to rebuild our shattered public services, not least an NHS still struggling to recover from the pandemic. We’re calling for more funding for workforce skills, so we deliver genuine training and development opportunities for all. And we’re seeking to address the impact of AI and rapid technological change on working people. 

But our work goes far beyond the UK. Trade unions are proudly internationalist, and we are working with sister movements worldwide to fight for decent work, rights and services for working people across the globe. We are also prominent in the fight against the global far right, resisting those who seek to pit worker against worker. 

4.2 A strong public sector 

A strong and resilient public sector is the backbone of a robust economy, built on well-funded and well-staffed public services. However, we are continuing to witness the devastating ramifications of 13 years of savage public spending cuts and pay restraint. Waiting times and backlogs in health and justice have reached record highs; schools, hospitals and council services are crumbling; and the attainment gap in schools and the skills gap in workplaces has widened significantly. 

The TUC continues to call for proper funding for all our public services, including our fire and rescue service, in line with resolution 25. And we continue to oppose privatisation and government attacks on public service broadcasting, in line with resolution 58.

Living standards for public sector workers have plummeted, as yet another year of real-terms pay cuts left key workers brutally exposed to the cost-of-living crisis. TUC analysis showed that the average public sector worker was earning £200 a month less in real terms in spring 2023 than in 2010. 

Ministerial decisions to hold down public sector pay have made keyworkers tens of thousands of pounds poorer and fuelled the recruitment and retention crisis blighting our public services. In line with emergency resolution 3, we highlighted that a toxic mix of pay cuts, unsustainable workloads and low morale are driving many public sector workers out of their professions and forcing others to take industrial action to defend their pay and working conditions. 

In line with composites 5, 12 and 14, the TUC has supported unions’ industrial activity, convening unions within and across sectors, while our Britain Needs a Pay Rise campaign has highlighted the urgent need for a significant pay rise for the public sector workforce. Our budget submissions, mass lobbying event, demos and regular MP briefings have put pay at the heart of the debate about the public sector’s acute recruitment and retention crisis and the cost-of-living emergency. 

4.3 NHS 

As vacancies in the NHS reached record levels, ambulance workers, physiotherapists, junior doctors, nurses and other health professionals participated in the biggest wave of strike action in a decade, as they and their unions fought for fair pay. In support of unions’ industrial activity, the TUC lobbied government to open and engage in meaningful pay negotiations, coordinated action and produced new analysis showing the impact of pay cuts on the NHS workforce. 

Our analysis reveals hundreds of thousands of NHS workers have lost over a year’s worth of pay following 12 years of government-imposed pay cuts. Between 2010 and 2022, maternity and care assistants suffered a cumulative real-terms pay loss of £30,000 – the equivalent of 14 months’ worth of salary. Nurses and physiotherapists suffered a cumulative real-terms pay loss of £37,000 – the equivalent of 13 months’ worth of salary. And midwives suffered a cumulative real-terms pay loss of £48,000 – the equivalent of 14 months’ worth of salary. 

After several months of high-profile industrial activity, amassing huge levels of public support, NHS unions negotiated an improved pay and conditions offer from government. Meanwhile, ministers launched an attack on striking workers, introducing the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill. Through our union working group, the TUC coordinated responses to the consultation on the Bill in the ambulance service and elsewhere (see section 1.2). 

The TUC continues to pressure ministers, including the secretary of state for health and social care and the chancellor, to deliver much-needed, long-term, sustainable funding for the NHS, in line with resolution 52. The NHS workforce plan, called for by all health unions, was published in June. Implementation will need to focus on fair pay, retention and recruitment right across all disciplines if it is to gain the support of NHS trade unions.

4.4 Education 

After years of deep funding cuts and spiralling costs, schools, colleges and universities have been pushed to the brink. Children are losing out because there aren’t enough teachers, our dilapidated and unsafe buildings and school estates require urgent attention, and education staff are leaving the sector in droves due to a combination of low pay and excessive workloads. 

As education unions balloted members in autumn 2022 over derisory pay offers and changes to pensions and working conditions, the TUC convened meetings to coordinate industrial activity. We also produced new analysis revealing the extent and impact of real-terms pay cuts for teachers, with a further study showing that one million children with keyworker parents are living in poverty, including one in nine children with teaching staff as parents. We also published a survey showing one third of the education workforce has taken steps to leave the profession, or are actively considering doing so, citing pay as the main factor. 

In line with resolution 54, as education workers continued to take industrial action to defend their pay and conditions, the TUC raised the profile of the education workforce. We warned the government that pay cuts were fuelling acute staffing shortages, affecting the high-quality learning schools provide. In line with resolution 55, we drew attention to the impact on children with special educational needs. The threat of action by the NEU, NASUWT and NAHT and non-TUC affiliate ASCL, saw the government accept in full the recommendation of the STRB for a funded pay rise of 6.5 per cent for teachers in England. This followed unions securing improved offers in Wales and Scotland. 

4.5 Social care and childcare 

The care sector and its workforce are a vital part of our economic and social infrastructure. Social care workers are disproportionately female and from Black and migrant backgrounds, while childcare workers are disproportionately young women from working-class backgrounds. All remain undervalued, underpaid and exploited. The longstanding recruitment and retention crisis stemming from persistently poor pay and conditions in both sectors has left the care system – and care workers – at breaking point. 

In social care, we have campaigned hard for the implementation of our New Deal for the Social Care Workforce, with decent pay and conditions, sectoral bargaining, a proper social care workforce strategy, and much more investment. Our analysis shows that a new £15 social care minimum wage would support the low-paid care workforce and provide a £7.7bn boost to England’s economy.

The TUC has highlighted the poor treatment of overseas recruits in the social care system, in line with resolution 53. We worked with an alliance of affiliates, regulators and independent expert bodies to identify labour abuses and promote decent employment for migrant social care workers. 

Following the government’s rollback on funding promised for the social care workforce, the TUC and affiliates secured an urgent meeting with the minister for social care to discuss the workforce crisis. 

We worked with affiliates to develop written evidence for Department of Health and Social Care consultations on a care workforce pathway and on care data. We also engaged with shadow ministers on improving working conditions, discussing a fair pay agreement in social care. 

The TUC has worked with affiliates and other stakeholders to highlight the importance of high-quality childcare, early-years education and the childcare workforce. In autumn 2022, we published our trade union vision for childcare and early-years education built on three universal principles: 

› flexible, high-quality childcare that is available to all from the point at which paid maternity or parental leave ends 

› a new deal for the childcare workforce, starting with a new sectoral minimum wage and clear pay and progression pathways 

› a new social partnership forum in childcare, bringing together unions, government and employers as a first step towards a fair pay agreement. 

4.6 Civil service and justice 

Thirteen years of austerity have had hugely damaging impacts on our civil service and justice system. Though the Conservatives have undone the destructive and dangerous ‘transforming rehabilitation’ reforms and paused plans to scrap tens of thousands of civil service jobs, there remains significant work to be done to protect and repair both services. 

The TUC maintained and galvanised strong opposition to the government’s ill-advised and ill-thought-through plans to cut civil service jobs, informed by composite 16. We have condemned Conservative ministers’ ongoing attacks on the independence and integrity of our civil service and judicial system, in line with resolutions 28 and 61. 

In June 2023, we published our Digitisation in the Public Sector report. This highlighted the threats and additional burdens placed on civil servants and those working in the justice system through the imposition of unsuitable and poorly designed digital technology. 

4.7 Skills 

The current skills system is fragmented, underfunded and failing workers. More than a decade of cuts to funding and the abolition of adult skills entitlements have led to a sharp decline in lifelong learning and training. Successive spending cuts have damaged the pay of the skills workforce, fuelling a recruitment and retention crisis. 

As part of our work furthering the priorities identified in resolution 20, we have worked closely with affiliated unions on education and skills policy to campaign for greater investment in skills to support economic growth and help more workers achieve their full potential.

We commissioned new analysis from the Learning and Work Institute that found the number of adults participating in further education and skills training has halved since the Conservatives first took office. The analysis also revealed that learners from deprived areas have seen the biggest drop in participation over recent years, falling more than three times faster than those from more affluent areas. 

We have engaged with industry and government stakeholders to promote a package of measures that could boost lifelong learning for adults. In our response to government proposals for implementing a reformed FE funding and accountability system, we called for a new funding settlement for the sector, with future budgets fully offsetting the cuts of the previous decade and enabling employers to deliver real-terms pay rises for the workforce. 

Alongside a financial boost, the TUC has called for a new package of learning and skills entitlements that includes a new right to paid time off to train, backed up by personal lifelong learning accounts, a reversal of the cuts to the Union Learning Fund and the creation of a new National Skills Task Force that would bring together employers, unions, key stakeholders and government. 

The devolution of the adult skills budget to several mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) and the Greater London Authority has resulted in some benefits, including the establishment of joint skills projects across the country. The TUC now has skills projects in the north-east, West Midlands, Yorkshire & the Humber, and Liverpool City Region. However, devolution and the implementation of regional skills programmes remains patchy. 

4.8 AI at work and rights 

The TUC has continued to convene its AI Working Group, welcoming external speakers (including the Office for AI and the EHRC), publishing reports, and responding to consultations. 

Consultation responses included those on the Information Commissioner Office’s draft employment practices code, the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum workplan, and the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (‘the Bill’). We published People Powered Technology: collective agreements and digital management systems, as well as a programme of e-learning on algorithmic management. 

Our work on the Bill included attending Labour meetings, issuing a briefing to MPs and Lords, and giving oral evidence to the Public Bill Committee. We were invited to give evidence to two Labour National Policy Forum commissions. We also continued to contribute to the AI work of international sister union confederations. 

In April, we held an AI@Work conference. Panel speakers included Chi Onwurah MP, David Davis MP, Andrew Pakes from Prospect, Robin Allen KC, TechUK, the EHRC and Cambridge University, as well as representatives from NASUWT and Equity. There was a focus on Equity’s campaigning work, in line with resolution 10 on AI and performers’ rights. 

Mick Whitley MP convened a Westminster Hall debate on AI and work, and presented a Ten Minute Rule Bill speech, based on the TUC’s AI manifesto. 

In June, we collaborated with Connected By Data to hold an event bringing workers (including Equity, GMB and CWU members) to parliament to speak to MPs about their experience of AI. 

4.9 International 

The TUC affiliates to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the OECD’s Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC). Through our international affiliations, we seek to deliver tangible gains for working people worldwide, in line with the General Council statement on A World to Win. And, in line with resolution 69, we continue to highlight and oppose attacks on journalists and other workers. 

The ETUC executive met in December and March, with its steering committee meeting in December, January, February and April ahead of the ETUC Congress in May in Berlin. The TUC’s full members are Christina McAnea, Steve Turner and Kate Bell (steering committee). Our deputy members are Steve Gillan, Gloria Mills CBE, Mariela Kohon and Rosa Crawford. The pan-European regional council executive committee met in March; Paul Nowak and Steve Turner are the TUC’s representatives. 

ITUC executive bureau meetings were held in October and May, and the ITUC General Council met in November, December, January, March, and June. ITUC General Council titular members are Paul Nowak and Kevin Courtney. TUC senior international officer Mariela Kohon is Paul’s first alternate and Gloria Mills CBE the second alternate. ICTU’s David Joyce is Kevin’s first alternate and Gail Cartmail the second alternate. Our ITUC executive bureau titular member is Paul Nowak, with Mariela Kohon his first alternate and Kevin Courtney second alternate. Paul Nowak also represents the TUC on TUAC.

The ITUC held its Congress in November 2022 in Melbourne. Following the dismissal by the ITUC General Council of general secretary Luca Visentini in March 2023, Luc Triangle was appointed as acting general secretary. The ITUC will hold an extraordinary Congress to elect a new general secretary. 

Palestine 

The TUC hosted a delegation to the UK, which met with affiliates, parliamentarians, representatives from the FCDO, and civil society organisations – and set out evidence of the crime of apartheid under international law. We called on the government to halt negotiations on the UK-Israel free trade agreement, as we have done with other countries systematically violating human rights, including the Gulf States and India. In respect of emergency resolution 3, the UK government abandoned plans to relocate its embassy in Israel soon after Congress. 

Colombia 

The TUC continued to support the work of Justice for Colombia, and representatives participated in events and hosted meetings to promote trade union rights and peace with social justice. 

Brazil 

Following the election of President Lula da Silva, the TUC joined protests against the attempts of supporters of former far-right President Bolsanaro to subvert the result. We are working with sister centre CUT on continued solidarity as Lula works to achieve progress. 

Qatar 

The TUC issued a report detailing persistent labour abuses of migrant workers in Qatar ahead of the World Cup, and participated in an international trade union delegation that discovered worsening conditions. The TUC led on a motion at the ETUC Congress demanding swift action from Qatar. 

Cuba 

The TUC supported an ETUC resolution condemning the US for including Cuba on its list of terrorist-supporting countries, and highlighted the illegal US blockade. 

Turkey 

Following the earthquake, donations from the TUC and its affiliates were sent to rescue efforts organised by sister centres KESK and DISK in Turkey. We participated in trial observation missions for trade unionists subject to judicial harassment, including the trial of Selma Atabey, Gönul Erden and six other leaders of the healthcare union SES.

Ukraine 

In February, the FPU leadership addressed the General Council, and in March the FPU and KVPU addressed the TUC Women’s Conference as part of an international panel. 

The TUC launched a fundraising appeal and sent donations raised to the FPU Solidarity Fund. These will help with providing humanitarian aid to workers in conflict zones, restoring trade union buildings, helping displaced members, and rebuilding union membership in reconstruction-linked sectors. 

The TUC continues to promote the cause of peace and to advocate negotiated solutions to conflict through diplomacy. 

4.10 ILO 

The UK was the subject of a case at the Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) for breaches of convention 87. Workers from Colombia, Italy, Spain, the US and Zimbabwe spoke in defence of workers’ rights in the UK. The CAS told the UK government to ensure current and future legislation is in line with the Convention, including limiting the new powers of the certification officer, and urged better consultation with unions before changes to industrial relations legislation. 

4.11 G7 

In response to one of L7’s key demands, G7 members emphasised that “securing the labour rights of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining is the foundation of decent work and plays an important role in promoting wage growth”. 

4.12 Progressive change 

The TUC strengthened relationships with sister trade unions in countries where progressive change is taking place and achieved through unions and governments working together. We led a delegation to Spain of trade unionists and shadow cabinet members to meet unions, government and political representatives to learn about labour reforms. We also organised a delegation of trade unionists to meet unions and government officials in Washington to learn about the Inflation Reduction Act. Other meetings have been organised for affiliates with trade unionists from other countries where workers’ rights are progressing. 

4.13 TUC Aid 

We concluded TUC Aid projects to build the capacity of East African trade unions to advocate for trade deals that deliver decent work, and to support Guatemalan banana unions to train workers and unionise. The TUC is working to develop projects with ITUC-Africa and TUCOSWA in Eswatini. 

4.14 Regulating global value chains 

Policy was developed and agreed to call for regulating global value chains through new UK mandatory human and labour rights and environmental due diligence legislation. The TUC is working with allies to promote the legislation, which would make organisations legally liable for harm caused in their value chains. 

4.15 Tackling the far right 

With its affiliates and international unions, the TUC continues to build its work to counter the international far right. An updated ETUC roadmap developed with our input was agreed at the ETUC Congress in May. 

We have supported the delivery of ETUI workshops on tackling the far right for ETUC affiliates, with several workshops held in Belgium and Spain, helping to build a European network of trainers. We have organised meetings for affiliates, with international guests from countries including Brazil, Spain, Poland and others to exchange strategies. 

The TUC is part of the REDES network with union centres from Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and Italy to build a union response to the far right, and we participated at an event in Italy in October to share experiences. We also supported the launch of an international trade union anti-fascist network in Italy in March. 

We have developed a political education course on the international far right, in conjunction with Trademark Belfast, and have held pilots and training trainers’ sessions. We will continue to roll out the course and share materials with affiliates and sister centres. We have also supported a project to use social listening to help build a union response to far right narratives in workplaces.