Britain: TUC 2005 - Words must be turned into action

The direction and success of this year's TUC Congress will be set right from the start. The T&G will move the opening motion calling for a vigorous campaign to win millions of new workers to unions. Congress will stand and applaud the Gate Gourmet workers and those BA workers who took unofficial action in support of them. Congress will reaffirm its commitment to the repeal of the anti-trade union laws and issue a call for genuine trade union freedoms and rights. And then what?

In too many previous years the calls for active campaigning, for unequivocal support for those who challenge the anti-union laws, for active and high-profile campaigning for workers rights have been diverted in to a series of seminars, workshops and other campaigns aimed at persuading New Labour ministers and employers to grant small concessions to trade unions.

As the T&G motion points out - we measure our success by "winning in the workplace" and by organising workers to fight for their rights and that as a minimum that requires the repeal of all the anti-union legislation, the right to take solidarity action, employment rights from day one and stronger protection for union reps (as the sacking of Jerry Hicks at Rolls Royce shows) and workers.

New Labour has steadfastly refused to budge on all the key anti-trade union laws, laws which were introduced not to democratise unions and give them back to members as Margaret Thatcher used to claim but to undermine the ability of unions to effectively act on behalf of their members - as Labour used to say in opposition.

If we are to force the repeal of the anti-trade union laws we have to be prepared to actively campaign against - and where necessary act in defiance of - those laws. The BA workers showed that the laws are only scraps of paper when it comes to a serious challenge against them. BA managers backed down from disciplining those who took unofficial action on the grounds that they risked provoking a major more serious dispute. In the post office CWU members have taken unofficial action time and time again - even some of my own members at BBC News 24 have taken unofficial action this year and won a new deal on staffing. Yet for every success there have been times when unions have faced injunctions, threats of fines and sequestration and have called off industrial action in order to protect the finances of the union or to protect those workers who could face being dismissed.

Repeal all anti-trade union laws

No one union alone can fight these laws - and why should they, they affect us all. But imagine if the TUC were to lead a major protest against the laws, explaining to workers how they are used to make unions less effective and prevent solidarity action even when employers can act together. Imagine if the TUC took that campaign in to every workplace and organised on behalf of 7 million union members a direct challenge to those laws - that would have more effect than any number of seminars and workshops and would put unions in a stronger position to win.

That's why as a first step it is important to support the RMT motion which calls for support for a Trade Union Freedom Bill - 100 years after the 1906 Trades disputes act which removed trade union liability for damages caused by strike action - and importantly for the TUC to organise a national march, rally and lobby of Parliament next year in support of the campaign to repeal the anti-union laws.

Pensions will again feature highly on this year's TUC agenda as workers face attacks in both the public and private sector. Unison calls for co-ordination amongst public sector workers "to defend and improve the public sector schemes, including through further industrial action if necessary". In the face of the concerted action of several unions the Government, prior to the election, were forced to retreat on their plans to make public sector staff work until they drop. Now, after the election, the Government feels emboldened and has done little to even try to address union concerns. It is now vital that public sector unions co-ordinate further action and bring on board the teaching and education unions. A concerted campaign of industrial action by millions of public service workers can achieve victory - and serve as a beacon to those in the private sector fighting to defend their schemes against rapacious employers who use the much-hyped 'pensions crisis' as an opportunity to close defined benefit schemes and replace them with worse (and from the employers point of view cheaper) schemes. The PCS motion sets out a campaign strategy to ensure maximum unity amongst the public sector unions and should be supported.

The PCS will also be leading the attack on the civil service job cuts and privatisations proposed by the Government last year and, in particular, the moves by the Government to offshore public sector work to "seek to exploit the inferior pay, terms and conditions of workers abroad who do not enjoy the protection of strong trade unions and employment legislation".

Opposition to privatisation will again be a key issue for delegates. The CWU will lead calls for the Government to abandon any plans to privatise or part privatise the Post Office and for the TUC to continue to campaign to this effect. The TSSA will call on Congress to confirm its policy for the public ownership of the railways, while the NUM will call for the renationalisation of the deep mine coal industry; the POA and NAPO will condemn privatisation of the justice system; and the NUJ and BECTU will demand the BBC abandon plans to privatise further parts of the corporation.

In every case privatisation has meant fewer jobs, worse terms and conditions and in the case of the railways the impact has been even greater with staff and passengers becoming the victims of the profit before safety mentality of the railway privateers.

Internationalism

For trade unions internationalism has always been writ large on their banners and this year's Congress will be no different with strong motions from the Bakers Union BFAWU calling for cross-border union organising to combat the impact of globalisation and motions calling for the withdrawal of UK troops from Iraq. The CYWU states that "the continued presence of British troops in Iraq is morally and legally indefensible" whilst both they and NATFHE support calls for links to be built between workers in Iraq and Britain.

The campaign by Hands off Venezuela has helped to ensure the issue of support for the Bolivarian Revolution is on the agenda with NATFHE tabling a motion expressing solidarity with Venezuelan trade unionists and the TSSA urging backing for the UNT, with ASLEF noting the 70% support for Chavez's programme and calling on the TUC to campaign against US intervention.

For the past few years the TUC Congress has passed a series of progressive policies - on employment rights, against the war in Iraq, against privatisation and so on. All too often they have remained just that - motions. Congress will undoubtedly pass some extremely important motions this year too - the key now is to turn the words into action.