General Secretarys Introduction

GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT

introduction

by the general secretary

The past Congress year was dominated by one day. May 1, by tradition celebrated around the world as international workers day, was the day on which the British people rejected the political party which had formed the government for the past 18 years and, in its place, elected a Labour Government with the largest majority in the party's history. It was a decision which had far reaching implications - not least for the trade union movement.

One of the enduring features which characterised the period of Conservative rule was the Government's antipathy towards trade unions - summed up in Margaret Thatcher's telling phrase - ' the enemy within'.

Labour was elected on a pledge to govern on behalf of all the people. It offered favours to no sectional interest group and its early actions have shown how it intends to replace the favouritism of the Tory years with policies based on the principle of fairness. There was the commitment to sign the European Social Chapter and so bring workers' rights in Britain into line with those enjoyed elsewhere in Europe. Moves towards a minimum wage should help ease the unfairness of poverty pay, endured by too many for too long. The end to the outrageous denial of trade union rights to GCHQ employees will help right 13 years of wrong. We look forward to a white paper on fairness at work which should pave the way for implementation of the important manifesto commitment to ensure that, where employees want to be represented by a union the employer cannot exercise a veto by refusing to deal with the union. The new Government has also shown a willingness to listen to trade union views on a range of important and practical matters.

The challenge for the TUC and trade unions is to engage with government in the most constructive way possible. The rhetoric of opposition, which has been our stock weapon for so long, is no longer appropriate. Our proposals need to be practical and detailed. They must be capable of standing the test of rigorous analysis and the ultimate test of implementation. But we know too that this Government is pledged to act on behalf of all the people and would judge itself a failure if it did not win a second term. And so our proposals stand the best chance of implementation if we can demonstrate, not only that they are practical but that they enjoy popular support.

The stance, therefore, which I want the TUC to adopt from this Congress is one which combines practical policy development alongside the high profile campaigning style which forms the core of our mission statement.

Employment rights were identified by Congress as among the key issues for the TUC. We sought to raise their profile in the election campaign and to contrast the differences

between parties and candidates through an extensive campaign, which unions helped us to fund. Our slogan was: "Put a cross in the wrong place and you can kiss employee rights goodbye". Alongside this campaign we have also examined in detail issues such as the implementation of the Working Time directive and we are looking too at how Labour's promised legislation on recognition will work in practice.

Last year I told Congress that I wanted unions to be recognised as "part of the solution" to the problems facing the country - rather than part of those problems. We developed this approach through our document Partners for Progress, which has been widely debated in the movement and is before Congress alongside this report.

Britain's developing relationship with Europe will almost certainly be seen by history as the most important issue of our time. Our belief is that the European model of civilised prosperity, combining individual freedom with a strong sense social responsibility, offers the best hope not just for our continent but for the wider world. How we develop that model in a complex and fast changing world is the subject of a special report Britain and Europe - the next steps. This has been circulated to delegates and will be put to Congress.

Equality of treatment is a central feature of the social model we seek to pursue in Europe and equality issues have again formed a core element in the TUC's work programme. Of special significance this year has been the achievement of a framework agreement between European employers and unions guaranteeing equal rights to part time workers. As significant as the agreement itself has been the means by which this has been achieved, through a social partnership agreement which will soon become law across Europe.

Any civilised society needs to provide security for those who cannot work. Our current pensions arrangements are in need of revision if we are to meet the expectations of a new generation of workers as they approach retirement. Future pensions arrangements have been the subject of scrutiny by a group of union officers during this Congress year and their interim conclusions are included in this report.

Unions' central function is to protect people at work. Our work through the Health and Safety Commission and by other means is reported in detail. This report also details our international work, our work in the regions and the important work done with unions in developing our education service, both through the regional network and our National Education Centre. The services which the TUC seeks to provide for unions and the developing ways in which we seek to involve unions throughout the year in the work of the TUC are also recorded.

It is encouraging that the TUC continues to attract new affiliates. This year we welcome three new organisations: the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, the British Dietetic Association and the Association of Flight Attendants-Heathrow Local.

Last year we organised the first Respect festival, bringing together some 80,000 people in London's Finsbury Park for a day of music, entertainment and to celebrate our opposition to racism and support for cultural diversity. This year we surpassed even

that achievement with a considerably larger festival in East London's Victoria Park, the area where our Unite Against Racism campaign began. The festival was our contribution to the European Year Against Racism. It also brought trade unionism off the shop floor and into the community reaching out to many non-union members, especially amongst young people.

The need for unions to reach out has never been greater. Last year Congress recognised that a new initiative across the movement was needed to focus on recruitment and organisation. The General Council established a task group, drawn from unions as well as General Council members. In a short time they have undertaken an impressive programme of work, seeking to draw on the best of overseas programmes as well as our own. The enthusiasm for this work across the movement is encouraging and our proposals for an Organising Academy will be presented to Congress.

For my own part, I regard it as an important function of my job to get out as often as I can: to act as a roving ambassador for the TUC and trade unionism; to meet trade unionists in their own places of work as well as at union gatherings. Most weeks I spend at least as much time 'on the road' as in the office. Over the past year I have had the chance to visit workplaces as diverse as a bakery, a bottling plant and an oil rig. I welcomed the opportunity to address conferences and meetings organised, amongst others, by UNISON, AEEU, T&G, GPMU, IPMS, POA, KFAT, Unifi, the General Federation of Trade Unions and I attended the TSSA centenary celebrations. I have also spoken at the Northern Ireland Public Services Association, and many other conferences organised by the TUC and other groups associated with the world of work.

I have been pleased to address the conferences of the FNV from the Netherlands and the TCO Sweden. I have spoken at a number of events organised by employers organisations including the CBI annual conference. In December it was my privilege to visit the Vatican as part of an international trade union delegation.

Many of us who work full time for the trade union movement can only admire the commitment of those who combine employment outside the movement with a full range of trade union duties. One such person was General Council member Dick Pickering, who as the most senior member of the General Council not to have served as Congress President, would have expected to preside over next year's Congress. His death, whilst attending a meeting on behalf of the TUC in Brussels late last year, was a great loss to the movement. Congress delegates of recent years will also have been sad to learn of the death, so soon after his retirement, of Jimmy Airlie, our former General Purposes Committee chair.

Retiring from the General Council at Congress are Frank Wilkinson, who joined the General Council in 1993, and Garfield Davies, who joined the General Council in 1986 and has been the TUC's principal international spokesperson, having chaired the International Committee from 1992. Earlier in the Congress year Maureen Twomey, who joined the General Council in 1989, resigned following her appointment to a new post within the T&G. On behalf of their fellow General Council I would like to wish all our former colleagues well. And on behalf of the whole General Council I commend to

Congress this record of the TUC's work over the past 12 months.

John Monks general secretary