“We all know who the current Labour leadership are and what they are like. They are not going to give us all we want on union rights in one go but the recent strike wave has shown that the unions’ ability to fight back is not dead.”
By Adrian Weir, Campaign for Trade Union Freedom
This year, the Durham Miners’ Gala marked the 40th anniversary of the great miners’ strike of 1984/85 when the full force of the state was mobilised to smash the National Union of Mineworkers, its leadership and members.
As Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the FBU and this year’s TUC President said at the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom eve of gala rally the clear message from the Government to other groups of workers was “step out of line, we’ll come for you as well.”
True to their word the Government did come for other groups as well, most notably the News International print workers at Wapping in 1986/87 and registered dock workers with the abolition of the National Dock Labour Scheme in 1989.
Speakers at this year’s eve of gala rally, organised jointly with the Institute of Employment Rights, were remarkably upbeat about the prospects for a substantial improvement in trade union and workers’ rights with the election of the Labour Government.
Mick Whelan, General Secretary of ASLEF and Chair of TULO, argued that we needed the New Deal for Working People as we had the worst rights at work of any country in Europe other than Lithuania.
Matt Wrack made the point that repeal of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act will give the movement confidence that more can be done.
It is the case of course that the MSL Act is currently stalled thanks to the efforts of the rail unions. As was shown in the 1970s there are limits to the use of the law in industrial relations. Obviously the circumstances are different being 50 years apart but the 2023 Act does bear all the hallmarks of government overreach.
PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote said that in the current period, the rich have indeed got richer, a new deal of workers’ rights would have a positive impact of raising levels of pay. The reinstatement of collective bargaining in the Civil Service should be just the start on dealing with the anti-union laws.
Since 1994, under legislation passed by the Conservatives under John Major prison officers have been denied the right to strike. Steve GIllan, General Secretary of the POA looked forward to the repeal of Criminal Justice & Public Order Act and the restoration of a right to strike in the prison service.
He went on to say that improved rights at work and subsequent improvements in pay would dent any appeal that Farage has to workers; and that funding was there for public services because it’s been demonstrated that there’s always money for war.
Andy McDonald MP, who as a Corbyn-era shadow minister was responsible for the first edition of the Green Paper New Deal for Working People, argued that the New Deal spoke directly to union members. A massive increase in collective bargaining coverage would push up pay. The single status of worker is also very important he added.
Workers in food and hospitality are having to do more with less on insecure contracts said Sarah Woolley, General Secretary of the Bakers’ & Food Workers’ Union. She called for a £15/hour minimum wage and the abolition of zero hours contracts, each and every one is exploitative.
Sarah also called for a maximum temperature at work and more accountability in the event of company failure. She closed by calling for an end to arms sales to Israel.
Barrister Lord John Hendy KC, who represented the NUM and its members 40 years ago, paid tribute to Andy McDonald in initiating the original New Deal for Working People. Even in its current iteration the New Deal promises much: the right to bargain collectively; getting rid of the 50% +1 threshold in recognition claims and the granting of reasonable access to unions in organising drives; and, consultation on surveillance at work.
The new law should extend collective bargaining across sectors, all sectors, John argued.
In a powerful speech Sarah Kilpatrick, President of the NEU, said: “Labour should know that we took on a Tory government and we won, and whatever government we have, we will always fight for our children … and we will win.”
Gawain Little, General Secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions introduced the launch of the re-publication, by Strike Map, of The Miners’ Next Step first published in 1912. This important pre-Russian Revolution pamphlet called for miners and their union to adopt syndicalism as their ideology and called for workers’ control of the mines.
Gawain said: “It’s notable that the last time this pamphlet was reprinted was in 1964; subsequently, the 1970s saw some of the most significant wins that our movement has achieved, often led by the miners.”
The rally was closed by Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary who pointed out that we all know who the current Labour leadership are and what they are like. They are not going to give us all we want on union rights in one go but the recent strike wave has shown that the unions’ ability to fight back is not dead.
Noting that the Labour election victory could mark the end of 45 years of neo-liberalism Mick said, to rapturous applause: “we are an independent workers’ movement and we believe in socialism … that’s what we want, not just some reforms.”
The Campaign and the Institute now take a similarly themed meeting with some different speakers to the Tolpuddle Festival on Saturday 21 July.
- Adrian Weir is an Assistant Secretary of the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom.
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