#Lab13 Leaders Speech

A quick post on my first impressions of Ed Miliband MP speech to conference.

I thought this speech was very good and well delivered. I think it was over one hour long with numerous interruptions from genuine standing ovations. How on earth can he memorise it all? I can't even remember a 3 minutes speech!

It projected him as a potential Prime Minster and national leader “who will not only stand up for the weak but also stand up to powerful”.

He is making a obvious play towards the self employed and those on low wages by stressing how disillusioned many people are who work hard but still find it impossible to make ends meet. "They used to say 'a rising tide lifts all boats'. Now the rising tide just seems to lift yachts." Not much detail.

He rightly hammered home that you can only trust Labour with the NHS and that the Party will have to rescue it again from the Tories mishandling when we return to power.

He made an excellent point about the Tories received £25 million from Hedge funds and surprise, surprise Hedge funds receive a £145 million tax break.  He might have said "trade unions are the cleanest money in British politics" - but he didn't.

Not really sure why he kept using the term "we are Britain" rather than we are "British"?  

A welcome commitment to build 200k new homes a year and "use the land or lose the land" threat to builders and speculators who are sitting on large land banks. Not sure how he will do this? Nationalisation? Compulsory purchase? Tax?

Beforehand we were wondering what new policies he would announce during the speech. We agreed that they would be headline grabbing but not cost very much to a future government. The votes for 16 and 17 year olds and the welcome freeze on energy prices met those tests.

The Scottish Nationalists will not like the example he used of a Liverpool hospital caring for a patient from Glasgow as a reason why we are "better together" but I think it is a fair point and I’m glad that we are finally making the case for devolution and the United Kingdom.

Overall, I thought he is looking more like a credible Prime Minister than Cameron and now the election is getting nearer he can come out with policies that will make the difference between Labour and the Conservative clearer and give people positive reasons to vote for us.

#Lab13 - Responsible Capitalism and Workplace democracy. Giving workers a real voice

This interesting lunctime fringe had been sponsored by the Fabians, TUC and PIRC. Chaired by Seema Malhotra MP.

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady started off by saying some of her members think that "responsible capitalism" is an Oxymoron! But her main point was why is corporate governance in the UK so peculiar and out of step with the rest of Europe?  Where employee representation on company boards is common place.

We need to rebalance Labour and Capital. Frances quoted a terribly condescending and even insulting comment (which she described as "patronising twaddle") from the CBI about why in the UK British employees aren't good enough to being represented on boards.  Workers keep being told that they are the organisations "greatest assets". Yet the arguments being made against employee representation remind her of those made in 19th century against getting rid of the property qualification in order to vote.

Chuka Umunna MP believes that it is all about balance. Do we want a mixed or a laissez faire economy? Leading businesses started talking about this debate before we did in Parliament. Things have got to change. Need to promote the long term. Value investment in people and skill up. Look at the damage done to BP reputation and profitability after the oil disaster. It is in companies self interest to have good governance models. 

Tom Powdrill from PIRC thought that the governance mascot was Lord Myners. Why did shareholders not stop the banks from destroying themselves? Excessive executive pay levels are being driven to the levels found in financial markets. Since oversight is not by shareholders but by fund managers and hedge funds who naturally will think such levels are appropriate. Need a dose of reality. Tackle the problem up stream before a decision is made.  UK Companies already invest in Europe where employee representatives are widely accepted -so why don't they support similar models over here?

Nita Clare from the IPA (see previous post here) was Tony Blair's advisor on trade unions and before that a national officer for unison for 17 years. Good businesses know the value of stakeholders. The CBI quote is now quite old fashioned.  She stressed the importance of the supply chain to business. If there is a fire in a Bangladeshi factory it is no use saying "nothing to do with us".

There has been a death of deference and trust at work. 60% of employees surveyed said they don't trust managers. Management style is critical. If you have a culture of fear in any organisation, private or public, then it will fail. The Social partnership approach in Germany will be difficult to adopt in UK

My question to the panel was similar to the one I made before was how is it that I am an employee representation on a £900 million pension scheme and I sit on a joint committee on health and safety that looks after the safety of thousands of workers but I cannot sit on the management board or remuneration committee of my organisation?

#Lab13 One Nation trade unionism: can employees win more by working in partnership with employers?

My first fringe of conference was very topical. I missed the start due to the short but lively conference debate on the Ray Colins report about the link with the trade unions.

It was organised by the IPA, the union Community and Progress (who got a fair bit of stick during the previous debate).

Speakers were Toby Perkins MP, shadow small business minister; Roy Rickhuss national officer, Community; Nita Clarke chief executive, IPA; Maurice Glasman peer and Blue Labour founder Chair: Sarah Veale head of equality and employment rights, TUC

I came in as Nita began to speak. She had worked for unison for many years and later advised Tony Blair on unions. She thought there was no future for unions in the private sector unless they believe in partnership. Some unions seem to prefer to ballot for strike action at the beginning of negotiations not as a "last resort". While 3 years ago a number of employers had said to her that they wished they had unions in their workplaces since they would give employees a voice. They no longer say this. She also thought that "Learning reps" was the most important service that unions can offer. What people want is help to get on in work.  Unions should not retreat into "tigmoo". Its not about structures but about culture and attitude.

Next speaker was Maurice. He believes that it is only labour not capital investment that generates real value. Educating union leaders and building organising in unions is key.  Unions have a problem. In a recent survey 60% of people identified themselves as pro workers but anti trade union. All firms that employ over 100 workers should have employee representation. Unions in Germany have to get their people elected to sit on boards and this keeps unions honest. Regional banks with unions part of the governance are also needed. Personal debt is the biggest issue facing union members.

I asked a question but firstly pointed out that it was considered okay for me to be a staffside representative helping to run a pension fund worth over £900 million yet in the UK staff reps have no right to be on a company board.

I explained that I was late attending this meeting and might have missed something but while I accept that unions should be always looking at themselves and be ready to change you have to remember that some employers are very anti trade union and don't believe anyone has a right to interfere in the running of their business as they see fit.   Also, you won't get employees identifying with companies in the same way they do in Germany because management in Germany don't tend to pay themselves the obscene amounts of money that they do over here. Without pay restraint by UK  management you won't get partnership.

#Lab13 - Ed's Conference Art

I can't resist posting this picture.  I haven't a clue what point (if any) they were making but they made people smile.

Labour Party Conference 2013 #Lab13

I'm inside the Brighton Centre for the Labour Party Conference which started today at 11am. This year I am part of the UNISON delegation as the representive of Greater London Regional Labour Link. Last night there was various Labour and Union regional receptions.  I saw Labour Leader, Ed Miliband give 4 slightly different versions of the same speech.

The conference day started for me at 8.30 this morning with a 90 minute delegation meeting going through issues and conference business.

I'll try and post on as many conference speeches and fringes as possible. Firstly, some personal thoughts on the role of the affiliated trade unions in the Labour Party.  This has of course been very much in the news lately. While there is the theory, "no publicity is bad publicity". I doubt this applies to the recent rows which I am sure have contributed to the recent decline in support for Labour nationally.  Voters don't like in fighting and what they perceive to be divided political parties.

I would rather we were talking about issues and problems that actually matter to people in the run up to the General election such as pay and jobs.  No one has ever mentioned to me on the doorstep that they won't support Labour because of the influence of the trade unions - and they have at times told me in great detail about a wide number of other reasons!

While there is still (just) time to carry out a consultation on the union link before the General Election it has to be real and meaningful.

As I have to keep reminding employers, consultation is not about rubber stamping a proposal. Consultation should be a 2 way street with nothing decided until the consultation is complete. Ed when campaigning for the Party leadership promised us that it would be "different" from recent leaders if he  was elected. He would listen to the Party.

I hold him to these views. Now, I don't expect the leader of what must be an effective political machine dedicated to battle and defeat the most successful electioneering party in Western Europe (tories) not to have a view on how to shape this machine.  I do expect Ed to listen and take into account what we say. Even Party members who are not that well disposed to the unions are asking what is the point of putting at risk affiliation when we will need every penny we can get to try and over come the vast tory war chest.

I heard this morning that there is less than 600 days to defeat David Cameron. Everything we do between now and the next General Election must be judged by one simple test. Does it make it more or less likely to defeat the Tories?

London Labour Link Election for Delegate to Labour Party Conference 2013

Election Statement - John Gray (Vote John). "I am seeking election to represent the views of APF payers in the London Region at this year’s Labour Party Conference.

I support the link we have with the Labour Party. Labour in power has delivered real improvements for our members, but, Labour needs to change and do more to win the next General Election.

We need an alternative economic policy. We need to champion trade union issues within the Party at Conference and move our members concerns up the political agenda.

As an active UNISON and Labour Party member I believe in supporting the Party, but also in campaigning for or against change where it impacts on our members.

Campaign within the Party for policies that lead to:

• A real increase in public sector pay. Our pay in real terms has been cut. Our economy is suffering from a lack of demand. To increase demand, pay more to ordinary workers who will spend it and not give tax breaks to millionaires who will save it.

• All public sector contractors should be forced to pay a Living wage, Sickness benefits and a Living pension.

• In a recession you should invest in public services not cut it. Reduce the deficit instead by progressive and fair taxation on those who can afford it.

• Defend all public sector pensions.

• Access to quality and affordable housing for public sector employees and their families.

Next year there will be local Council and European elections in London. It is vital that Labour does well in these elections in the run up to 2015. We need at all costs to get rid of this Tory led Coalition government which is destroying the NHS and public services. To do this we need a Labour Government that will be as bold, radical and reforming as in 1945-1950".

Please also vote for Jason Anderson, Mike Davey and Jonathon Slater (and not the Miserablist One) for National Labour Link Forum (see next post).