President's Address to TUC Congress 2016
Speech by Trades Union Congress President Liz Snape, Sunday 11 September 2016.
Check against delivery
Sisters and brothers,
What a huge honour it is to be your President. To chair this great Congress. To celebrate our trade union values.
And I think the film we’ve just seen says it all. Our movement is about fighting injustice. Injustice that saw thousands of trade unionists blacklisted. That saw the Shrewsbury pickets wrongly imprisoned. That led to that grotesque cover up at Orgreave.
The real enemy within – the police and judiciary who colluded and covered up for decades
And a word too about Hillsborough. I was born and bred in Liverpool. It’s a city I share with so many in this hall. A city that was trashed and vilified by the media – but a city that fought back.
Led by the magnificent Hillsborough families – amidst their grief and sorrow – they let nothing and nobody stand in their way. Congress, they are an inspiration to us all.
And let us send a clear message from this Congress – to the Hillsborough families, to those mining communities, to anyone fighting injustice here and across the globe – this TUC will always stand with you. Solidarity in words; solidarity in action.
And it’s been another tough year – for us all. Tougher still for those we represent. And over the past year I’ve met loads of people ... politicians, business leaders, the great and the good. But those that impress me most are our activists and our members. The people who make our movement what it is. Who share our values of equality, of dignity, of fairness. And who give so much.
When I became President last year, it all felt a bit bleak. The Tories had just won their first election for 23 years. The draconian Trade Union Act loomed on the horizon. It felt we were under siege.
But Congress, what a difference a year makes. In this past year, we held our nerve and we found our fight. That demo in Manchester, a show of strength, of defiance. The lobby of parliament, our biggest and our best. Mobilising, organising, influencing – what we do best. Heart Unions Week – a clever and quirky way of reminding the world and ourselves what we stand for. Celebrating our work. Showcasing our wins. Congress, we should do it more often.
But from the outset, the Tories with their perennial arrogance thought they could crush us – finish us off for good. But in fact they did the very opposite. We found that fire. We found our fight. And now we must channel it – to protect all we hold dear. Our public services, our welfare state, our industries.
To campaign for that vision of a better world where people matter more than profit. A world that works for the many not just the few. That offers hope to those who live in fear and in poverty. To challenge the Tories every step of the way.
Don’t be fooled by this new leader – the softer voice, the kitten heels – Theresa May is every inch a Tory. And we need to fight for our class like they do for theirs. And that’s why we need unity, why we need strength. To grow. To fight back. To organise all those young workers who need a better deal at work.
This year, we’ve seen what solidarity can achieve. Unions working together. Setting aside differences. A real sense of shared purpose. To tackle the challenges: an NHS teetering on the brink; our industries under siege; Victorian employment practices re-emerging; sexism and harassment in the workplace rife; and deeply worrying – the vile and dangerous rise in racism unleashed by Brexit. The Far Right now on the march, quite literally, across our continent.
These are the challenges. And never has our trade union message mattered more. That we should invest in our schools, hospitals and housing. That all workers should be treated equally. That they should be paid the rate for the job regardless of race, age or gender. No undercutting, no exploitation, no race to the bottom.
Congress, migrants aren’t the problem. The real enemies are the bosses who exploit and the Tories who cut our services. That is our fight … and we need to battle on.
And Congress I can think of no better person to lead us than Frances. I’m incredibly proud to have worked alongside Frances this year – we’ve had our own little bit of girl power! Frances leads by example, and I know where she leads other women will follow. And to Paul, Kevin and all the staff at the TUC, thank you for all your support, your professionalism and more crucially your friendship over the past year – you are a great team.
And to my own brilliant union, UNISON. Thank you for your never-ending support – it is like a family. UNISON is a special union – a million women for a start. The jobs our members do – their dedication, their pride in their job – so often doing so much for so little … I am incredibly proud to be part of our union. Thanks to you all.
And to my real family, the centre of my life. To my Mum and Dad – two of the kindest, most special people you could ever meet. I was never raised in a house where we sat round dinner tables debating politics – my Dad often worked nights, and anyway we ate tea not dinner. But I was raised in a busy welcoming home where the door was always open.
A home where some simple values were instilled in us from an early age. Values lived out every day by my mum and dad. Firstly, that you looked out for each other, helped each other, no matter how busy you were. And secondly that you shared: no matter how little you had, there was always enough to share. Principles that I know drive and guide me today and I thank my mum and dad for that.
And to my lovely daughters Emma and Lauren – you too are the kindest, most generous, perhaps untidiest girls on earth. You make me laugh every day – and remind me of what life is all about. Thank you for your belief in me.
And last but by no means least Dave, my partner of 27 years – people have been made saints for less. And for all those years, Dave has been a constant source of unquestioning support and gentle encouragement. And even in this year when you’ve had your own election – you have always put me first. From early morning cups of tea to late night lifts from the station – when I had to go for a drink.
Dave, thank you for your support this year and the last 27.
So Congress: this is our week. For us to tell the world what we stand for. To celebrate our wins. To raise our heads high. To tell a positive story about the difference we make to people’s lives. Every hour of every day.
Congress, we are at a critical point in our history. Our proud trade union history. And if there’s one lesson from history we should never forget, it’s that our people – our class – were never handed anything on a plate. Nothing was given graciously and nothing came without a fight. So that old saying – “unity is strength” – has never mattered more.
We rise together or we fall together – it’s a simple as that. So let’s stand together. As trade unionists, as workers, as friends. Treating each other with dignity and respect. That fighting spirit we’ve rekindled this year, let’s use it. To organise. To campaign. And Congress, to win.