Fantastic speech by Trade Union Congress, General Secretary Paul Nowak last week. Telling it as it is.
Showing posts with label Trade Union Congress 2023. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trade Union Congress 2023. Show all posts
Saturday, September 16, 2023
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
TUC Congress 2023: Day Three
During lunch I took part in a fringe panel debate on "Collective Defined Contribution" (CDC) pensions sponsored by First Actuarial, Hilary Salt as Chair. This was well attended and there was a thoughtful debate with lots of audience participation. I will post further on this, since CDC could be incredibly important to future pension provision in this country.
There was a sober but at times passionate address by Lynn Sudbury-Riley on behalf of "Covid Bereaved Families" during the debate on the ongoing Covid-19 public enquiry.
Since my mother died this year after being tested positive with Covid it was important to for me to listen. (but to be clear that the death certificate did not mention it even though she died of a respiratory condition but again, she had been unwell for a long time)
In the afternoon I spoke on behalf of UNISON in the affordable Housing key worker debate. I will post the speech later. People said it went well but I did mess up the timings a little bit. Hat tip the UNISON self confessed "nerd" who was at home working but still listening to the TUC live stream and sent me the picture top left.
Later on there was a dignified and important debate on a composite calling for solidarity with Ukraine. One affiliated union spoke against this motion since it called for military equipment to be supplied to Ukraine but every other union who spoke was firmly in favour and the motion was carried overwhelmingly. Outgoing PCS General Secretary, Mark Serwotka, gave an amazing and powerful speech in favour. What a swan song Mark.
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
TUC Congress 2023: Day Two
The UNISON delegate sits together in the middle of the conference floor near the front. Before business started we welcomed UNISON strikers from Wirral hospital, who spoke to conference about their dispute over pay banding and low pay. Later that morning I had to take part in a teams video call outside the main hall and found right next to me the strikers. I had to go up to them and congratulate them for speaking so well and solidarity for their cause. Sign their petition here.
During lunchtime I went to the "What would Workers' Rights look like under a future Labour Government" organised by the Trade Union Co-ordinating Group. There was a range of speakers but the main interest was the responses of Justine Madders MP, Shadow Labour Minister on the Future of Work and Employment Rights and Protections.
The room was packed with standing room only. There was some hostile and suspicious questions and comments about the "Labour New Deal for Working People" but Justine answered all these points very well. He received praise from RMT Mick Lynch about being always prepared to turn up to meetings with the trade unions, listen and engage.
In the Q&A I explained that myself and around 50 of my unison members have been issued with "fire and rehire" dismissal letters by our employer in an attempt to get rid of our defined benefit pensions. I asked bearing in mind that Labour are committed to ban "hire and refire" what would they replace it with? Justine responded by saying that the vast majority of British people think "hire and refire" is "despicable" and Labour are pledged to make it illegal. He said that Labour are thinking on the lines of the private member bill supported by Lord John Hendy KC.
After conference I attended the Labour Unions fringe. Another packed event. Deputy leader of the Labour Party and Shadow Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Angela Rayner MP, was the keynote speaker. I have known Angela in UNISON since she was a young member and I am so proud of what she has achieved and her pride and acknowledgement over the support and encouragement she had received from her Labour movement family.
After the fringe I spoke to her about "fire and rehire" and also asked if she would speak again at my UNISON Housing Association Branch Labour Link AGM at the House of Commons and we agreed that I should approach her office to agree a possible date.
I also had a chat with the other impressive speaker at the fringe, Hannah Blythyn, who is a member of the Welsh Assembly for Delyn and Deputy Minister for Social Partnership. By coincidence she was brought up only a few miles away from me and we both shared some memories of the "famous" nightclub in Buckley called the "Tivoli", which we think is still open.
Sunday, September 10, 2023
TUC Congress 2023: Day One
This year I am in Liverpool for the 155th annual TUC Congress as a UNISON NEC delegate. I travelled down from London by train with Regional delegate (and London Convenor) Yvonne Green.
When we arrived in Liverpool we went into a meeting of all UNISON delegates to decide on whether to support or not motions and our speakers. There are 64 delegates from UNISON NEC, Regions, Service Groups, TUC committees, Self Organised Groups and young members.
Conference opened with Composite 14 "Investing fair funding in public services" moved by our UNISON General Secretary, Christina McAnea with a powerful speech. This composite was supported by many speakers and was passed unanimously.
Congress is due to finish at 7pm this evening and will restart 9.30 tomorrow morning. I will try and post/tweet as often as possible.
You can watch Congress Live and check out agenda, motions etc https://www.tuc.org.uk/Congress2023
I am speaking on Tuesday lunchtime in a panel about (not in UNISON capacity) on improving Collective Pensions and hope to speak on the housing composite.
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