This lunchtime I attended a fringe meeting organised by UNITE on the issue of "Labour Rights under a Labour Government". It started late but managed to end so I got into the afternoon conference session just before it began with an NEC statement (to be voted on) on Brexit based on the morning's long and detailed debate on this vital issue.
But back to workers' rights. Rebecca "Becky" Long-Bailey pointed out that, according to the TUC 3.2 million people in Britain -1 in 10 - work in insecure conditions, and that this is regionally different, i.e. in the north-west far more are affected than in the south-east. Precarious, insecure working conditions mean people cannot plan their lives or their long-term future ,with an obvious affect on people's mental health.
Becky also pointed out that we are on the cusp of a new industrial revolution and massive economic change. These changes provide us with the "opportunity to give us the living standards and leisure time that Harold Wilson dreamed of" - assuming the labour and socialist movements, I would point out, set the agenda.
Professor Keith Ewing from the Institute for Employment Rights (the IER) stated that "the left need to reclaim the 1970s: they were the era in which workers did best under a Labour government". I presume Keith was referring to the first half of the 1974-1979 Labour government ;)
He also spoke in support of free movement of workers and noted the dangers to working people of closing the borders and immigration rules of the kind the Australian government has introduced.
Keith noted that the IER is asking a Labour government to do the "three Rs":
to repeal the (anti) trade union act of 2016
to reintegrate trade unions into every workplace, sector and government department, so workers have a voice through their trade unions, which is socialist democracy
to introduce rights for every worker (from day one) to strong, stable and secure employment.
John Hendy QC from the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom and IER promoted the "Manifesto for Labour Law" which has been described by John McDonnell as a blueprint for a Labour government and that our 2017 manifesto calls for sectoral collective bargaining.
Len McCluskey, UNITE's general secretary then spoke. He described himself as looking a bit like "someone on care in the community", walking around with a dazed grin, since June. Len said that "at this conference, I get the feeling that people like Ian (Lavery), Becky (Long-Bailey), Jeremy (Corbyn) and John (McDonnell) really do understand what is needed to transform Britain...everyone in this room are leaders and we can do what is needed to transform society."
"Labour rights are on the top of the agenda as far as the party is concerned. Jermy and his time are more easily accessible to the trade unions." He asked delegates to remember the trade union input on the Labour party manifesto.
To close, Ian Lavery MP made a barnstorming speech, as you might expect, if you've every heard him speak about how we are going to change society in the interests of... (almost a cliché by now) the many, not the few.
And I've learnt it's a bit rude to type from the conference hall and as you have as about as much space as on a Ryanair flight, so I won't be blogging any more until this evening :)
And some of the speeches are great - a delegate from the Labour Party Irish Society just got a standing ovation and rightly so (including from myself) and my hands are almost sore from applause :)
But back to workers' rights. Rebecca "Becky" Long-Bailey pointed out that, according to the TUC 3.2 million people in Britain -1 in 10 - work in insecure conditions, and that this is regionally different, i.e. in the north-west far more are affected than in the south-east. Precarious, insecure working conditions mean people cannot plan their lives or their long-term future ,with an obvious affect on people's mental health.
Becky also pointed out that we are on the cusp of a new industrial revolution and massive economic change. These changes provide us with the "opportunity to give us the living standards and leisure time that Harold Wilson dreamed of" - assuming the labour and socialist movements, I would point out, set the agenda.
Professor Keith Ewing from the Institute for Employment Rights (the IER) stated that "the left need to reclaim the 1970s: they were the era in which workers did best under a Labour government". I presume Keith was referring to the first half of the 1974-1979 Labour government ;)
He also spoke in support of free movement of workers and noted the dangers to working people of closing the borders and immigration rules of the kind the Australian government has introduced.
Keith noted that the IER is asking a Labour government to do the "three Rs":
to repeal the (anti) trade union act of 2016
to reintegrate trade unions into every workplace, sector and government department, so workers have a voice through their trade unions, which is socialist democracy
to introduce rights for every worker (from day one) to strong, stable and secure employment.
John Hendy QC from the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom and IER promoted the "Manifesto for Labour Law" which has been described by John McDonnell as a blueprint for a Labour government and that our 2017 manifesto calls for sectoral collective bargaining.
Len McCluskey, UNITE's general secretary then spoke. He described himself as looking a bit like "someone on care in the community", walking around with a dazed grin, since June. Len said that "at this conference, I get the feeling that people like Ian (Lavery), Becky (Long-Bailey), Jeremy (Corbyn) and John (McDonnell) really do understand what is needed to transform Britain...everyone in this room are leaders and we can do what is needed to transform society."
"Labour rights are on the top of the agenda as far as the party is concerned. Jermy and his time are more easily accessible to the trade unions." He asked delegates to remember the trade union input on the Labour party manifesto.
To close, Ian Lavery MP made a barnstorming speech, as you might expect, if you've every heard him speak about how we are going to change society in the interests of... (almost a cliché by now) the many, not the few.
And I've learnt it's a bit rude to type from the conference hall and as you have as about as much space as on a Ryanair flight, so I won't be blogging any more until this evening :)
And some of the speeches are great - a delegate from the Labour Party Irish Society just got a standing ovation and rightly so (including from myself) and my hands are almost sore from applause :)
Comments
Thanks for blogging, even though typing might make you (temporarily) unpopular 😊