TUC 2012: the long march towards the workers idyll?

A week ago the 2012 Trade Union Congress opened in Brighton. I was there as a UNISON delegate although I missed the final day (Wednesday). Here are some random and personal thoughts on this year's Congress.

I suppose the yardstick for deciding if it was successful or not is whether the movement is in better shape after Congress now than before?

Did "ding dong Thatcher gone", heckling Ed Balls and calls for a national strike wreck our image and credibility? or did the election of Frances O'Grady, the consensual chairing of El Presidente Kenny and the lack of blood on the carpet mean that a workers idyll is just around the corner?

Neither is true. While I have my doubts that it is indeed possible or desirable to call a national strike, the threat of it drew more media attention to Congress than even Liz Cameron's savaging of Ed Balls.

The media are even more obsessed with strikesthan the most enthusiastic of ultra left newspaper sellers. The ding dong row was of course a complete and utter ring wing media invention that had nothing to do with the TUC itself.

I do think that Frances O'Grady as General Secretary is a huge advance for the movement. Apart from her many personal qualities and with all due respect to all the good work carried out by Brendan Barber and his predecessors, we finally have a GS that looks and speaks like one of our members and not just one of our activists.

It also seemed to me that the speeches and fringes at Congress this year were more hard headed and realistic than in previous years. There was less grandstanding and pontificating. We still talked to the converted too much and there was some completely off the wall wishful thinking but the starkness and enormity of the threat that faces us concentrated many minds.

 

We are against the wall. We have less than 6 million members out of a total workforce of over 30 million. While austerity, redundancies, pay freezes and attacks on employment legislations mean we either get our act together and organise effectively or we turn into just another protest movement. This makes me think that Congress was a "success" in these terms although it is only the start of a long, long road. During which we need to consider what works and what doesn't?

 

Is the traditional Anglo-American trade union "model" (aka the bosses are all bastards)"fit for purpose"? Do we continue to not want to dirty our hands by providing welfare or financial services pensions to the general public like they do in countries with much greater union density (and income equality)?  

Hat-tip caption Hope Not Hate

TUC 12 "Why every trade unionist should be active in the Labour Party" CLPD fringe

Sorry this is a little late but on Tuesday evening I went to the fringe organised by the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD).  This is the first time that I've been to a CLPD event and had never seen its shy and retiring Secretary, Pete Willsman, in action before (see centre). I won't repeat his comments about the recent North Norwich PPC selection process.

Jim Kennedy from UCATT (and Labour Party NEC) spoke first about the need to get ordinary working class union members as elected representatives. On 4% of MPs come from a manual background and UCATT are running a campaign group "to get that plasterer into Parliament".

Kate Osamor from Haringey (speaking) explained how her borough was still recovering from last years riots and how she was brought to believe that the trade unions are the cornerstone of any civilisation. Andy Kerr from the CWU (another Labour Party NEC member) doesn't see how anyone in the Party cannot be a trade union member and that trade union members should be Labour Party members. Lucy Anderson London NPF representative described how there was a window of opportunity with "Refounding Labour" for activists to increase their influence in the Party.

Michael Meacher MP posed the question about how will we get the money to pay for work for the unemployed? Then he reminded everyone that according to the Sunday Times "Rich list" during the last 3 years the top 1,000 in this country have increased their wealth by £105 billion.

Kelvin Hopkins MP told how he first joined the TUC 43 years ago. It was unimaginable at that time how right wing things would become. He believes that the mass of people are still "to the left", they just don't realise what they want is actually "socialism". Even hard core Tory voters want the railways to be renationalised.

Simon Wellor from ASLEF complained that there was now a "political class" in this country and that people go to Oxbridge, then become Parliamentary Assistants then become MPs. Is there some sort of Labour Party by-law that every PPC selection has to include someone from Islington?

Final speaker was Diana Holland from Unite who is also the Labour Party treasurer. She wants to be optimistic & positive for the future. She senses that people want a change and is pleased that the new people who have joined the Party have stayed in membership and renewed it the following year. 

I couldn't stay for the Q&A and had to dash off.  I'd didn't like to mention that I was back to work in Islington the morrow. 

TUC 2012: UNISON pressie to President

After close of business this morning the UNISON delegation met up with Congress President, Paul Kenny, to present him with a gift to thank him for his work during the last year.

Paul was very pleased but could not resist holding up the carefully wrapped box gift to his ear and said "in the past a GMB official would have very cautious about receiving a gift from UNISON and would have checked to make sure - it wasn't ticking". 

TUC 2012: Ed Balls speaks to Congress

Shadow Labour Chancellor Ed Balls addressed Congress followed by a Q&A.

He was introduced as the man according to David Cameron who is "the most annoying person in British Politics".

Ed started off well by taking the mick out of himself over that title. He then talked about how there is an economic alternative to the Coalition policies, there always has been.

He spelt out the Labour Party 5 point plan. While is all good stuff, I don't think you can really call it an alternative policy to getting us out of recession. He admitted that he understood that the unions cannot just wait for the return of a Labour Government but warned that the Tories are desperate for the unions to go on strike because they will then have someone to blame for the stalled recovery.

"Unlike Nick Clegg we will not make spending promises that we don't know we can deliver. We need credibility with the public". He argued that protecting jobs is more important than pay rises.  

"We need radical Banking reform. It was not too many teachers and health workers that caused Lehman Brothers to bust in New York" He finished by saying that the unions should never stop offering "strong advice" to him and the shadow cabinet (no chance of that) and that "the Labour Party must win back the trust of working people".

During the speech he had a little bit of heckling but was given some more stick during the Q&A. He agreed with Vince Cable that lack of demand was the biggest problem facing the economy but the government does nothing about it. Picture is of Liz Cameron from UNISON asking him the question (to loud cheers) why when she as a public sector worker has had a pay freeze for 3 years at then same time that inflation has increased by 12 % - he won't support a pay rise?

TUC 2012: Trade Union Rights - Why is Britain always different - and always worse?

After close of Congress last night I went to the fascinating "History & Policy" fringe chaired by John Edmonds, former General Secretary of the GMB.  The fringe was supported by the excellent Peoples History Museum.

Professor Keith Ewing started by disagreeing that the UK has always been different. The real problem facing trade unions is the collapse in collective bargaining. In 2010 only 32% of workers covered. If unions don't collectively bargain then what is their purpose?

In the past even the Tories recognised the value of bargaining and encouraged it in 1934 to raise wages and get the country out of the depression. 1979 it was 82%, a time of the lowest ever level of inequality.  This is what trade unionism should be about. The total membership of unions is not key, its impact is.

Three reasons for failure: Hubris of unions who thought that better benefits could be achieved by local bargaining; foreign inward investment with no tradition of collective bargaining and Political (Thatcher).

Sarah Veale from the TUC spoke about being sympathetic to the view that workers want to left alone by employment law. Unions are about addressing collective concerns rather than individual. Individual representation is important but it is very time consuming. It is rubbish that small businesses want tighter employment law. It is only the 6th most important concern in a recent government survey. Need to be careful that we are not just seen as an arm of the Labour Party but as acting to defend ordinary workers.

John Monks, former TUC and ETUC General Secretary pointed out that trade unions in most European countries have declined, but the most in Britain. In 1969 when he started out in the movement unions were intellectually very confident. At a time of full employment the reality was that power did lie in the hands of local stewards. The unions saw off two attempts to limit their power. The Tories learnt their lessons and when they came for the unions again, they fought dirty.  

John remembers Tony Blair making a visit to Congress House soon after he became leader. He asked to see the TUC Trophy room. We said "Trophy room"? Yes, he said, the room where you keep the heads of Wilson and Callaghan? He told us that his head will not be joining them.

He remembered that in those days we use to patronise the German unions with their "work councils" and "limited or no strike deals". "We were the world leaders, we were the hard men". He thinks that there was a missed opportunity in the past. We settled for minimum wage, Social Chapter and Trade Union recognition.

Must learn from Countries that still have high trade union density. These unions provide welfare services and benefits. We were offered this opportunity in the past but refused.

Final speaker was the former trade union official and historian Jim Moher.  Jim believes that the Labour Party and the Unions share the blame for the problems today. Trade unions were first legalised in the UK as far back as 1824. The first country to do so. Trade union support for the first and second world war gave them power.

The unions have to accept that is was the over turning of elected governments that led to Thatcherism. We need to look to ourselves. "In Place of Strife" may not have been perfect but it would have been much better than now. This is a political issue that we have to address.

In the Q&A with regards to unions providing welfare services I asked whether we should consider running a decent defined benefit pension scheme? Final point from Keith - The trade unions are in crisis we have to adapt (and maybe offer services) or we will end up as just another protest group along with all the other protest groups.

TUC 2012: Fraternal Greetings from the Labour Party

Michael Cashman, Labour Member of European Parliament (former "Eastenders" actor and Labour Party NEC) gave the traditional Fraternal Greetings from the Party to Congress.

No doubt Michael was a very wise choice. A life long union member (including NUPE when he had a temporary job as a hospital porter). He was a founder of the Equity Penison scheme.  Michael is also the son of a London Docker and a mother who use to look after her family and do cleaning jobs morning and night.

He knows that politically "we are the sum of our experiences".

As second generation London Irish he remembers that he was brought up at a time when it was usual to see notices on windows offering up properties for rent that said "No Blacks and No Irish".

TUC 2012: Frances O'Grady during Transport debate

I like this picture of the new TUC General Secretary, Frances O'Grady, making a statement on behalf of the Council during the debate on transport.

There is going to be a lot of interest in Frances as the first ever female head of the TUC. Not just the media looking for a new angle. But I'm not sure that the Guardian (bless it) was really right when it said the average trade union member is now a young female graduate (surely not?  if that was the case then the majority of the 545 delegates at our democratic Congress would of course be women!).

The new General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Bernadette Ségol, also addressed Congress today.   She looked to Frances during her speech and said  "I now look forward to working with Frances. Tom Jenkins explained to me that, in London, busses were late, but then three of them arrived at the same time. Well, like London busses, women General Secretaries have been late in making it, but you are getting them now. Enjoy".

TUC 2012: Why Inequality Matters fringe

During lunchtime I went to this launch of an authorised summary of Professors Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's "The Spirit Level".  The fringe was sponsored by the new "left think tank" Class (Centre for Labour and Social Studies).

Chaired by GMB Tim Roache. Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey kicked off by introducing "Class" and the reasons why it was set up. For too long right wing think tanks have dominated political policy and research. Katherine Round spoke next. She is producing a video documentary on "The Spirit Level". 100k copies of the book have been sold in the UK while the gap now between the rich and poor is the widest for 30 years.

While Richard started by posing the question - is inequality an ethical or empirical issue? Many perfer to believe it to be ethical rather than empirical since then it can be dismissed as being subjective. He explained that in the 600 odd lectures and seminars that he and Kate have given there has been no good counter arguments. People are surprised about how how inequality has such a profound impact in so many ways. He is clear that you cannot have a classless society without addressing income equality.

Mehdi Hasan from the Huffington Post told a witty tale about how he was thrown off a right wing USA TV programme (are there any others?) for arguing in favour of a wealth tax even though a "wealth tax exists in communist Switzerland and is supported by that well known Marxist, Donald Trump".

Owen Jones (not in picture he was speaking at another fringe) came on last and made the point that Labour leader Ed Milibands "Predistribution has a point since billions spent on family credit were in effect a subsidy for low pay...whatever predistribution actually means". 

TUC 2012: Seb Coe thanks TUC for Olympic role

I don't think that many former Tory MPs have been given the opportunity to address Congress (even by video) but this morning Lord Coe did. 

He very generously thanked the TUC for the help the unions had given to help London bid, win, build and run the 2012 Olympic Games.

TUC 2012: Nationalise the Banks?

Motion 27 "Public Ownership of the banks" moved by the Fire Brigades Union saw the first real "debate" of Congress since there was a speaker against. While much of the motion makes sense I don’t see the answer to the "disastrous role of the banks" being "full public ownership of the sector". In the TUC statement on the motion it mentioned the huge cost of doing so (£180 billion) and fairly asked whether this would this include successful and well run mutual banks such as Nationwide and the Co-op?

I was surprised that during the debate there was no discussion about the role of workers capital and the governance of banks? It was mentioned that the money in banks is "our money" but we also already own significant bits of many banks via our pension and insurance funds. The problem is not just the "de-regulated, free market model" – it’s also that we have no meaningful way of exercising our rights (and responsibilities) of ownership over our shareholding in banks and other companies.

Decisions are taken by fund managers in our name with our money but often in their interests and that of the financial services "mates culture".

The motion was passed (UNISON abstained since no policy) but I understand that since the TUC Council statement was also approved then the statement overrides the motion. Classic TUC.

TUC 2012: Monday morning

Day 2 of TUC Congress at Brighton. This morning I went for a very quick run along the beach while listening to Radio 4 "Today". The Congress was the second item on the news headlines after a report on last nights Paralympic closing ceremony.

Outgoing TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber was interviewed live by John Humphrys who repeatedly tried to suggest that trade unions have had their day and are old fashioned and ineffectual. Brendan saw him off. The suggestion that the union’s only plan for the economy is mass strike action is laughable but typical of silly media stereotyping.

Congress started at 9.30. There was a Dixieland jazz "improvisation" band playing beforehand. Appropriately of course they were playing "When the saints come marching in" as delegates entered the hall.

Brendan gave his keynote speech. He used the example of the Olympics to hammer those who think that "the market knows best" and "you can’t pick winners". Targeted funding resulted in Gold medals for British atheletes and the debacle over GS4 security showed that the public sector can actually be better than the private sector. Brendan received a well deserved standing ovation.

Debates this morning on Anti-Austerity campaign, The Economy and Health.

TUC 2012: The State of the Unions

I'm in Brighton for the Trades Union Congress 2012 as an UNISON delegate. Conference starts at 4pm. Stacks of reports, motions and policy papers to wade my way through.

While on the crowded train here I tapped some strictly personal thoughts into my BlackBerry about "the state we're in".

First the bad news. Not a good start last week to hear that total trade union membership has dropped under 6 million for the first time. A long way from the 1970's 12 million.

Recession and austerity will mean that membership may (will) decline further. The public sector is shrinking and many new jobs in the private sector are so far either in non unionised sectors or self employment (real or bogus).

There are various attempts to even further restrict trade union rights such as threats to get rid of facility time and demands for minimum turnout in strike ballots.

I'm trying desperately to think of any good news. Nope, can't think of any. "Good" is not the right word but there is still hope and there is still the potential ability to turn negatives into positives.

Lets not forget that we are still by any measure the largest mass membership organisation in the UK.

The need for unions are as compelling now as they have ever been. Power at work is stacked in favour of the employer. The simple fact of the matter is that you cannot trust the government, the law or your employer (no matter how well meaning) to protect you at work, only your trade union.  Without a collective counter balance at work even the "best" employer will have nothing to stop them going amok from time to time.

Ironically it is this horrible and cruel government which could be our unlikely recruiting sergeant. There has always been is a strange belief that unions are not really needed because if the boss misbehaved you can take them to the cleaners at the courts. This has always been rubbish but the wholesale assault and ripping up by the Tory led Government on workers legal rights and protection must surely be acting as a wake up call? Are you going to be able to pay a upfront court fee of £1500 to try and get justice if you are unfairly thrown out of work?

The unions also need to start thinking out of the box about making us appear attractive to workers in small companies and the self employed. Many members of my family are in this position. They don't need representation or collective bargaining but they are worried about what will happen if they fall ill or how much money will they get when they retire. Trade unions in other countries provided income protection if sick why can't we? Why can't UK unions provide pensions? Why not offer a national Defined Benefit pension scheme modelled on the new look Local Government Pension Scheme 2014?

Finally, it seems likely that this government will last until 2015. So we have less than 3 years to use our influence in the Labour Party to help it become the next Government on the back of policies that will really benefit working people. Money alone is not enough. We need to get active within the Party and use our relatively privileged position within the Party to argue for change.

In the meanwhile let's do our bit educating our members and the public about the alternatives to this  governments rotten economic policies and get a mass turnout on October 20th as part of a wider Labour movement renaissance. Hopefully next years state of the unions will indeed have some "good news".