“Working people cannot wait for action while the world burns”
As the debate on an important climate motion at TUC Congress approaches today, Sam Mason writes on why climate action is essential for the trade union movement.
If you were around in 1976, like I was, you’ll remember the long hot summer and water shortages which have become a barometer for every summer since. This summer, after four heatwaves, has been confirmed by the Met Office as the warmest on record, pushing the summer of 76 out of the top five with the warmest summers now all occurring since 2000.
In this context, it’s timely that TUC Congress will be debating an important motion on the climate crisis, submitted by the Bakers union. A trade union who has been consistent on this agenda leading previous conference debates on anti-fracking and public ownership of energy for example.
The impact of heat on workers was picked up at last years’ congress with the General Council Report noting, in line with resolution 19, that they have “advocated for government to introduce a heat furlough and establish a maximum workplace temperature”. The importance of the impact of heat on workers was also made clear in a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Meteorological Office (WMO) report on climate change and workplace heat stress.
But, as the ITUC have said, working people cannot wait for action while the world burns.
Welcome as it is to see some progress on protection of workers around heat stress, trade union action on mitigation remains wanting. Indeed, the amendment to the motion from Unite insisting that future fossil fuel production is only ended when there is a fully funded workers’ plan has been agreed and delivered in full, is a wrecking ball to the debate.
That is not to say that workers social protections as embodied in the concept of a just transition aren’t paramount, and sections of the movement have been calling for workers plans as part of the response to climate change for a long time. Yet holding action on climate to ransom on what is becoming a chicken and egg waiting game has wider, and equally dangerous connotations, than the increasing threat of climate change to workers both here and abroad.
The long hot summer of 1976 was also significant for another reason. It was the year Rock against Racism was born. There was optimism in the country following the 1974 Labour election that real change could be won for the working class but then, as is happening now, Labour showed its preference to support the billionaire bosses rather than the workers. In the context of this wide spread disillusionment, the far right, then in the form of the National Front, were on the rise and organising.
Today, climate change policy is being weaponised by the far right and we play into their hands if we fail to prioritise this within the trade union movement. The workers plan’s we struggle for rooted in public and democratic ownership whether of energy, transport, water, education, housing and so on is the antidote we need to this, and the austerity and war agenda being pursued by this government.
Joined up plans across the economy led by workers and situated within ideas such as a National Climate Service urgently to be progressed from the bottom-up rank and file of workers and communities. And how climate change links into poverty, housing, health, racism and the rise of the far right – who are funded through fossil fuel capital – is an important part of this programme and captured in the Bakers union motion.
Indeed, in this regards it’s also worth to point out here the excellent work by the Greener Jobs Alliance in their TUC Congress special newsletter highlighting other important climate related motions such as the FBU’s motion in support of a Zane’s Law. But equally where others could be strengthened with references to climate change making it integral to all union policy.
As we head towards winter, we may look back with happy memories of a long hot summer, ableit one interspersed with continuing to protest for a free Palestine, an end to the genocide in Gaza and seeing off the far right in our communities. But for many of our working class sisters and brothers across the globe, the new hot summers as a result of climate change is bringing endless misery of floods, wildfires, storms, health impacts, displacement and loss of livelihoods.
Our climate struggle is a global struggle. Prioritising action on climate therefore is inherent in our solidarity for the global cause of the working class. All unions should get behind the motion and support workplace days of action and the 15th November global day of solidarity and start a new era, rocking against climate change.
- Sam Mason is a trade unionist, climate and peace campaigner, and regular contributor to Labour Outlook.
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