TUC Conference 2013

CWU is represented this week, alongside all other affiliate unions, at the TUC Congress 2013. The congress is being held in Bournemouth and the union has a full delegation in attendance to promote members’ interests.

Kicking off the week, CWU joined other unions by holding a press conference with the national media. Hosted by CWU’s general secretary Billy Hayes and head of communications Kevin Slocombe, the conference updated the press on the union’s campaign against the privatisation of Royal Mail and the announced national strike. In addition the general secretary fielded questions on the ongoing POL dispute and a lead news story on the Labour / trade union link. Billy also appeared live on SkyNews on the latter subject and promoted the CWU’s postal strike ballot.

The conference opened on Sunday (8 September) and the first day’s business focussed on employment rights and equalities.

Day 1:

CWU delegates were involved right from start of TUC 2013, speaking in the first two debates which covered some of the most contentious subjects on the agenda.

“There are no laws so bad that they can’t be made worse by the Tories” Unite general secretary Len McClusky told Congress in moving the first motion of this year’s event. Composite motion 14 cut straight to the heart of cuts to employment rights, worsening terms and conditions for workers and more attacks on trade union rights.

Speakers from a range of unions raised the spectrum of attacks on employment rights and conditions – from zero hour contracts, the ‘shares for rights’ scheme, and fees for employment tribunals – in an annual round-up of how bad things have got in the last year. As a Prospect speaker put it; “the list of attacks on employment rights is never-ending.”

Speaking in support of the motion, CWU deputy general secretary Andy Kerr told Congress of the cautionery tale of union derecognition in Virgin Media. “Union-busting practices are becoming commonplace” he warned. Andy explained how last November CWU and BECTU were given two days’ notice of the company’s intention to consult on union recognition. Staff were bombarded with company propaganda and the company included people not in union bargaining units in a ballot on recognition. The result was a slim 52% in favour of derecognition. “Our members were angry, shocked and in some cases scared” said Andy, pointing out that there has never been a dispute with the company. “Union-busting is big business, worth £4 billion the USA, and a manager in the company has form in this area.”

Andy’s contribution added to other shocking stories on the removal of health and safety protections, and exploitation of working people. With a wide range of examples, the motion was carried, calling on the TUC to oppose detrimental changes to employment rights, campaign for positive legal frameworks for trade unions, and to end the ability of companies to hire ‘union busters’, among other obligations.

Coordinated strike action was the subject of the second motion – a subject which the TUC General Council took no position on, leaving Congress to decide. RMT general secretary Bob Crow moved the motion with a characteristically impassioned speech, saying: “We have marched and they’ve not listened to us. We have to do what the trade union movement always does – get off our knees and fight for what we stand for.”

Tony Kearns at TUC 2013
CWU senior deputy general secretary Tony Kearns spoke to second the motion. In urging Congress to vote in favour, he described the economic landscape in which the argument is embedded. “4.8 million people are earning less than the living wage, 14 million are living below the poverty line, use of food banks has tripled and homelessness has risen 23% – and all this in the sixth richest economy in the world. And yet corporate profit is at highest levels” he said. “The narrative of media is to drive unions out of political life. The acts of government are coordinated and it’s right that we review our position to consider coordinated action in response” he said.

The motion brought opposition from Community, USDAW, Prospect and ATL, but when put to the vote TUC President Lesley Mercer announced it was “clearly carried”.

In her address to Congress, Lesley paid tribute to public services telling delegates “companies like Royal Mail make our society civilised”.

International speaker Amirul Haque Amin from the Bangladesh garment workers’ union addressed Congress towards the end of the day. He spoke of the 1,133 workers who were killed and 1,500 injured when a factory collapsed earlier in the year. He urged members to put pressure on UK retailers to sign up to an accord which would provide protections for workers. His message was one of solidarity and international support and he received a standing ovation from delegates. Congress then voted through motion 76 in support of the IndusriALL/UNI Global Union Accord and calling for similar ethical trading initiatives covering goods and shops in the UK.

TUC 2013 continues in Bournemouth this week until Wednesday. More reports to follow. Follow @CWUnews on Twitter for live updates.

CWU delegation:

The delegation is led by general secretary, Billy Hayes and senior deputy general secretary Tony Kearns. Both deputy general secretaries Andy Kerr and Dave Ward are present, as is national president Jane Loftus. The remainder of the delegation is made up of representatives elected to specifically represent CWU at TUC. From the NEC are Nick Darbyshire and Mick Kavanagh and from the T&FS executive, Tracey Fussey. Bob McGuire is a Divisional representative for the North East and other delegates are Craig Anderson, Francis Banks, Jackie Gatward, Kate Hudson, Jim McKechnie, Sajid Shaikh, Jean Sharrocks, Amarjite Singh, Joyce Stevenson and Tony Sneddon.