Young Workers' Conference

Please note that this conference is not open to members of the public. All delegates to this conference must be nominated members of one of the TUC’s affiliated unions. 

If you are interested in attending this event, please contact your union to request more information. 

Information for your union's delegates, visitors, and conference observers

Delegation leads

If you are the delegation lead then please make sure we have your mobile phone number, we will use this to contact you if needed.

Key dates for delegates

If your union has nominated you to be a delegate at the 2024 TUC Young Workers’ Conference, here is what you can expect from the TUC:

• 12 January 2024: Your union should have submitted your name to the TUC by this date.
• w/c 22 January 2024: The TUC will email you a link to register. If you do not receive this, please email your union contact to ensure that you have been nominated to be a delegate
• 23 February 2024: This is the deadline for you to complete your individual registration. Please note that this is a two-stage process. You will be sent a monitoring form first, at the end of which is a link to the final registration form.
• Early March 2024: The TUC will email all attendees with a link to the final conference documents, including the agenda, nominees to the Young Workers Forum and the conference guide.

If you have any queries about the conference, please email your union contact in the first instance. The TUC provides all the essential information to unions, who are then responsible for keeping delegates informed.

Visitors

Visitors' tickets (maximum 10 per union) will be issued via affiliated unions before conference.  Because of the need for extra security at all TUC conferences, names, and address of those wanting visitor tickets must be supplied and those tickets are not transferable.

Visitors will be asked to submit their individual registration by Friday 23 February no later than 12.30pm.

Equal access 

The TUC is keen to ensure that we provide equal access for all delegates, especially disabled delegates. Please tell the TUC of any access requirements by Friday 16 February 2024 no later than 12.30pm. We need early notice of any delegates or visitors requiring documents in accessible formats, such as large print or Braille. The TUC will meet all access needs where reasonably practicable and if notified in time. British Sign Language interpretation will only be provided at conference when a union has indicated by the deadline that one of its delegates and/or visitors requires it.

Childcare facilities 

The TUC is committed to ensuring that no delegate is prevented from playing a full part in our conferences because of childcare responsibilities.  Your unions should notify delegates with children below school age that crèche facilities will be provided for these children during conference hours, free of charge, provided notice is given of this by the closing date for delegate registration by Friday 16 February 2024 no later than 12.30pm.

The TUC provides a creche if we have over 5 children requiring this service; we make other arrangements with the parent if there are fewer than 5 children requiring the service.  Please note that unions may be liable for the cost of any ‘no-shows’ or late cancellations.  

Out of hours childcare arrangements, to allow delegates with childcare responsibilities to attend fringe events can also be arranged up to 8pm. Delegates that are breast feeding are welcome to bring their children with them.

Monitoring

In line with the TUC commitment to equality, delegations will be asked to complete an online equality monitoring form as part of their individual registrations.

Scrutineers and tellers 

We need a small number of scrutineers to count the ballots for the Young Workers Forum and the motion to Congress.  The TUC will approach the delegation leaders for volunteers from amongst their delegates. 

Information for union officers and staff 

TUC Contacts

If you have questions or queries in relation to any aspect of the 2024 TUC Young Workers’ Conference, please email: equalities@tuc.org.uk.

Key dates

TUC Young Workers’ Conference 2024 will be held at Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS from Saturday 23 to Sunday 24 March 2024.

• The deadline for motions and nominations has passed. Nominations for Sections E (BAME) and F (LGBT+) have re-opened until 16 February
• Unions must submit the names of conference delegates by Friday 12 January 2024 no later than 12.30pm
• Amendments to motions must be received by Friday 16 February 2024 no later than 12.30pm
• Delegates must complete their individual registrations by Friday 23 February 2024
• Emergency Motions must be received by Thursday 21 March 2024 no later than 12.30pm

Conference forms

• Motions
• Nominations
• Delegate registration
• Visitor registration
• Fringe and Delegation meeting requests
• Amendments (open from 5 February)

Conference sessions times

Conference sessions will be as follows:

Saturday 23 March 9.30am - 5.30pm
Sunday 24 March 9.30am – 5.30pm, with the possibility of finishing early

Motions, amendments, and emergency motions

Download the guide to writing motions.

The TUC endorses the Social Model of Disability, we ask you are mindful of this when drafting motions.

Motions

The deadline for submitting motions has now passed. Please email equalities@tuc.org.uk if you have any queries about this process

Please use this form to submit motions by Friday 12 January 2024 no later than 12.30pm.

Each union can submit up to two motions, apart from unions with more than one million members which will be allowed one additional motion for each additional 500,000 members or part thereof. Motions should not exceed 250 words. Any longer motion will be ruled out of order. Please note that the motion should cover one subject only. If the motion covers more than one subject it may be ruled out of order. Motions must be approved by the General Secretary.

Composite motions

The Young Workers’ Standing Orders Committee will consult unions about compositing motions where appropriate.

Amendments

Please use this form for submitting your union’s amendments

Unions can submit two amendments of not more than 50 words, apart from unions with more than one million members which will be allowed one additional amendment for each additional million members or part thereof. Amendments must be submitted by Friday 16 February 2024 no later than 12.30pm

Speaking times

The time limit for moving and speaking to motions is five minutes for the mover of the motion, and three minutes for any subsequent speaker.

Emergency motions

Emergency motions, of a maximum of 250 words, must deal with issues that have arisen since the closing date for ordinary motions. In other words, they must be a genuine emergency. They must be received by the TUC office at equalities@tuc.org.uk and titled EMERGENCY MOTION, not later 12.30pm on 21 March 2024 by email as a signed PDF or a Word version. Emergency motions must be signed by the union General Secretary.

Delegations and registration arrangements

Delegate Registration

Unions must submit the names of conference delegates by Friday 12 January 2024 no later than 12.30pm using this form and must include any access and/or childcare requests. We are keen that the conference gives voice to groups of workers that under- represented in our movement and our structure therefore encourage unions to register their young* members as delegates.

The number of delegates per affiliate is set out below. Affiliates are encouraged to ensure that women members constitute no fewer than 50 per cent of delegations.

• Unions with up to 300,000 members, a maximum of 4 delegates;
• Unions with up to 400,000 members, a maximum of 6 delegates;
• Unions with up to 600,000 members, a maximum of 8 delegates;
• Unions with up to 1,000,000 members, a maximum of 10 delegates;
• Unions with up to 1,200,000 members, a maximum of 12 delegates;
• Unions with up to 1,500,000 members, a maximum of 14 delegates;
• Unions with up to 1,800,000 members, a maximum of 16 delegates;
• Unions with over 1,800,000 members, a maximum of 18 delegates.

The General Council are especially keen to encourage delegations from those unions who do not usually go to conference. Delegates will be asked to submit their individual registrations by Friday 23 February 2024.

* Delegates must be young members as defined by their own trade union on 22 March 2024, as per Rule 16 of the TUC Young Workers’ Forum Constitution. If a union does not have a definition of young member, the delegate must be 27 years or younger on the first day of Conference. All delegates must be 18 years or older.

Visitors’ tickets and documentation

Please use this form to submit your visitor names including any access and/or childcare requests by Friday 12 January 2024 no later than 12.30pm. Visitors will be asked to submit their individual registrations by 23 February. Visitors’ tickets (maximum 10 per union) will be issued via affiliated unions before conference. Because of the need for extra security at all TUC conferences, names and addresses of those wanting visitor tickets must be supplied and tickets are not transferable. Visitor tickets cost £15 per visitor.

Nominations

Please note that the deadline for submitting nominations has now passed. As there were no nominations received for sections E and F, these sections will remain open until 16 February.

Please use this form to submit your union’s nominations to the Young Workers’ Forum and Standing Orders Committee no later than 12.30pm on Friday 19 January 2024. Nominees must be registered as delegates by this date.

The TUC Young Workers Forum (YWF) is an advisory committee to the TUC General Council. It meets no less than four times a year. Representatives to the Forum are nominated by affiliated unions onto the following sections.

Each union is entitled to make up to two nominations in total for sections D to G. The Forum also consists of the young worker representative on the TUC General Council (elected at TUC Congress), the Chair and Vice-Chair.

Unions can nominate young members for the position of Chair and Vice Chair. The Vice Chair shall represent a different TUC affiliate to the Chair. Unions are also entailed to make one nomination on to the Standing Orders Committee. There are four seats on the committee.

Where more than seven nominations are received for Section C, more than four nominations for the Standing Orders Committee or more than two nominations each for Sections D, E, F or G, an election by secret ballot will be held at Conference.

Section A: for unions with a full numerical membership of 400,000 or more members. Unions in this category can nominate one young member to the Forum per 400,000 members or part thereof. Women members must constitute no less than 50 per cent of nominations.

Section B: for unions will a full numerical membership of 150,000 to 399,999 members. Unions in this category are entitled to nominate one of its members to be a member of the Forum in this section.

Section C: for unions with fewer than 150,000 members. Unions in this category shall be entitled to nominate one member in this section. There are seven seats in this section.

Section D: shall consist of two women members.

Section E: shall consist of two BAME members.

Section F: shall consist of two LGBT+ members.

Section G: shall consist of two disabled members.

Nominees MUST be delegates at the 2024 TUC Young Workers Conference. Nominees (not the nominating union) should provide a supporting statement on the nomination form for circulation to delegates in advance of Conference. The statement should contain biographical information and relevant details of work carried out in the trade union movement but should not be an election address. The General Secretary of the relevant union should endorse the statement, which should be no longer than 150 words in length.

Responsibility for ruling on motions (including compositing) and emergency motions will lie with a Standing Orders Committee which will comprise of up to four members, elected at the Young Workers Conference, plus one Full Time Official from the TUC.

Fringes and delegation meetings

If you would like to book a fringe or a delegation meeting room, please use this form. The room will be provided at no cost to unions, but the cost of refreshments will not be covered by the TUC. Unions will need to liaise directly with the conference venue to arrange refreshments.

Please note: If your union is running a fringe event, it is your responsibility to provide reasonable adjustments to attendees.

Monitoring 

In line with the TUC commitment to equality, delegations will be asked to complete an online equality monitoring form as part of their individual registrations.

Scrutineers and tellers

We need a small number of scrutineers to count the ballots for the Young Workers’ Forum, Standing Orders Committee and the motion to Congress. The TUC will approach delegation leaders for nominations from amongst their delegates.