CONGRESS 2016 FINAL AGENDA Motons and nomnatons for The 148th Annual Trades Unon Congress 11 14 September 2016, Brghton
CONTENTS SPECIAL NOTICES 04 SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 05 SECTION TWO RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 19 SECTION THREE GOOD SERVICES AND DECENT WELFARE 30 SECTION FOUR STRONG UNIONS 59 GENERAL COUNCIL AND GENERAL PURPOSES 69 COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS UNIONS AND MOTION NUMBERS 73 CONTENTS 03
SPECIAL NOTICES Please note the Rules and Standng Orders of the TUC are prnted n the General Councl Report. Groupng commttees and composte motons Where the Congress General Purposes Commttee consder t necessary, unons wth motons and amendments that can be grouped together wll be asked to meet as a Groupng commttee to see whether composte moton(s) can be agreed. Detals of the tme and place of the meetng wll be sent to general secretares of the unons concerned. Unons must ensure that they are represented at such meetngs by an offcal wth authorty to make decsons on behalf of the unon. As a result of the work of Groupng commttees and of suggestons made to the unons concerned by the Congress General Purposes Commttee, some of the motons and amendments prnted n ths agenda may be merged nto composte motons and others may be wthdrawn. The frst report of the Congress General Purposes Commttee s prnted and crculated to delegates wth the composte motons. It s presented to Congress by the Commttee Char at the start of Congress. The Char of the GPC wll announce any further alteratons n, or deleton from, ths agenda durng the proceedngs of Congress. Any further composte or emergency motons wll be prnted and crculated to delegates as soon as possble after they have been approved by the GPC. Speakers It s the responsblty of the unon concerned to see that a delegate s present to move any moton or amendment standng n ts name. Delegates are asked to gve ther own name and the name of ther unon at the start of the speech. Tmng of speeches Subject to the terms of any alternatve or suspenson by Congress of the Standng Orders, the mover of a moton wll be allowed fve mnutes, the seconder three, and each succeedng speaker three mnutes. A delegate shall not speak more than once on a queston, except the mover of the orgnal proposton, who shall have the rght of reply. A green lght wll appear on the rostrum at the start of each speaker s tme. One mnute before the end of the tme allowed a yellow lght wll appear and at the end of the permtted tme a red lght wll appear. Tellng The arrangements for Tellng are made n the lght of the number and the poston of the seats allotted to each delegaton. Delegates n charge of votng cards can therefore help n the takng of card votes by remanng durng the vote n the places orgnally allotted them n the seatng plan (see Congress Gude). Order of busness A programme of busness ndcatng the order n whch motons and paragraphs of the General Councl Report are to be taken wll be prnted n the Congress Gude whch s crculated to delegates by the begnnng of Congress. The programme s only provsonal but wll be adhered to as closely as the crcumstances of Congress permt. SPECIAL NOTICES 04
SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 01 European Unon The TUC campagned for Brtan to stay n the EU as beng n the best nterests of workng people, partcularly n terms of job securty and workers rghts. Nevertheless we accept the referendum decson. Congress recognses the concerns felt by many workng people expressed n the referendum over austerty, ther sense of powerlessness and the abuse of the free movement of labour. The referendum result was a rebuke to an out-of-touch poltcal and economc elte. The terms of Brext must reflect trade unon values and nput, and any deal whch reduces unon or workers rghts would be unacceptable. We must defend members jobs, whch mght be threatened by the UK s ext from the European Unon and ts sngle market. We are ready to work wth employers and government to ths end. We wll campagn to protect employment rghts whch depend on legslaton at the European Unon level. Brext must not be carred through at the expense of workers rghts. Congress opposes the racst backlash followng the referendum and stands n soldarty wth all peoples threatened by abuse and volence. We support the rght of all EU natonals lvng here to reman, and oppose those poltcans who have whpped up ths backlash. The trade unon voce must be heard n all offcal dscussons about leavng the EU and the General Councl s nstructed to work to ensure ths. Unte 02 Austerty and publc servces Congress beleves that jobs and publc servces should not be the vctms of a new post-eu referendum Westmnster government. Congress beleves there were no votes on 23 June for ncreased austerty and cuts n publc servces, nvestments and benefts. Congress condemns the Treasury programme of contnung cuts stretchng to 2020, slashng publc servces and jobs, that all contrbuted to the contnung recesson. It s unacceptable that further cuts are beng consdered whle brbes are offered to through corporaton tax cuts. Communtes have been stretched SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 05
to breakng pont, wages have been slashed and nsecure workng condtons have grown, contrbutng to publc alenaton from the poltcal process and a dsproportonate mpact on vulnerable groups. Congress demands an ant-austerty stmulus package of jobs, and nvestment n servces and nfrastructure to rebuld communtes and re-balance the economy. Ths must be based on: socal justce and equalty; far and progressve taxaton of companes, property and ndvduals; and on far pay. Congress calls on the General Councl to: demand a workers voce n all EU negotatons campagn for an mmedate moratorum on publc servce cuts promote an ant-austerty alternatve and the benefts of collectve barganng v lobby for trade agreements that protect workers, publc servces, equaltes, the envronment and health and safety v expose attempts to ntroduce free trade, low nvestment, low tax polces across the UK v campagn across the EU and the UK on ths programme, to promote ths alternatve, ncludng supportng publc events and demonstratons. UNISON 03 Defendng workers after the Brext vote Congress notes: the poltcal and economc turmol precptated by the Brext vote on 23 June the Tores decsons to hold a referendum, fx ts tmng and orchestrate the campagns the economc turbulence that wll adversely affect workng class lvng standards for years to come. Congress agrees that responsblty for the consequences of Brext les squarely wth the Tores and ther backers. Congress further notes: a b Tory government plans to contnue wth austerty, prvatsaton and attacks on workers rghts lkely attacks on EU-based employment and safety rghts through trade agreements. SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 06
The stuaton faced by workng people s the product of a faled neo-lberal model mposed for decades, whch has decmated workng class communtes and contnues to subject workers to uncertanty and neglect. Congress beleves that workng class communtes must not pay the prce for the Tores msmanagement of government. Congress further beleves the trade unon movement must defend the jobs, servces and lvng standards of all workers. Congress calls on the government to end austerty now and launch a sustaned nvestment programme, ncludng nfrastructure projects and publc servces, to revve the economy. Congress affrms our soldarty wth ssters and brothers across Europe. Congress resolves to stand n soldarty wth all mgrant workers, who contrbute enormous value to socety. Congress further resolves to take the fght to the Tores, who created the mess we are n. Congress agrees to organse a campagn of ralles, protests and demonstratons, coordnated between afflates, amed at defendng workng people from the mpacts of Brext. Fre Brgades Unon AMENDMENT At the end of paragraph 6, after workers. add: Equally, pensoners must not pay the cost of Brext and Tory austerty and the trade unon movement must fght to retan the trple lock on the state penson. Communcaton Workers Unon 04 Brext and the UK trade unon movement Congress notes the referendum on the UK s membershp of the European Unon, n whch 17.4 mllon people voted to leave. Congress s concerned that the trade unon movement was unable to persuade workng class communtes to support the reman poston adopted by the majorty of TUC afflates, the subsequent rse n racst and xenophobc hate crme, and the threat to our ndustres, small busnesses and publc servces due to the subsequent economc uncertanty. Congress beleves Brext presents huge challenges for the trade unon movement and requres a coordnated response to protect our members aganst attacks on health and safety provsons, maternty and paternty rghts, pad holday, and many other rghts protected by the EU. Congress beleves the TUC s nternatonal department has postvely enhanced the standng of Brtsh unons around the world and n lght of Brext ths work should be expanded so as to mantan relatons between Brtsh workers and those n Europe and the world. Congress calls on the General Councl to: SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 07
work to understand why so many tradtonal trade unon communtes voted to leave the EU, and seek to tackle the underlyng causes of ths trend by a process of poltcal engagement and empowerment that brdges the gulf between the poltcal vews of trade unon leaders and our mllons of ordnary members work wth the UK government n promotng Brtsh busnesses around the world, whle campagnng for the nvestment needed to create the hghwage, hgh-sklled economy necessary for the UK to reman as a global economc force. Communty 05 Makng a success of Brext Congress recognses that the mpact of leavng the EU wll have a profound and far-reachng effect on the UK s ctzens and economy. Huge swathes of polcy and legslaton are currently drectly and ndrectly derved from our membershp, and many publc servces, ncludng the NHS, rely on tens of thousands of EU ctzens to delver vtal servces. Congress recognses that followng our ext, there wll nevtably be debate over wde-rangng areas of polcy from employment protecton to farmng subsdes; and from safety standards to regonal economc development, dwarfng those consdered at any general electon. Congress further recognses that t s n the UK s nterest to ensure that the negotatons around our ext and the mplementaton of new arrangements that wll follow are supported by a cvl servce that has the resource and expertse to make ths process a success. Ths would a be a challenge for any government but after sx years of austerty the cvl servce has been ravaged by staffng cuts of around 20 per cent. Congress calls on the TUC to secure urgent engagement wth the government to: assess the capacty and capablty requrements for the cvl servce over the short, medum and long term revew the 2015 Comprehensve Spendng Revew to provde addtonal resources to departments as dentfed by ths assessment ensure that ths does not lead to further outsourcng of servces and expertse v ensure that all EU ctzens workng n publc servces, many of whom are unon members, retan ther current rghts to resdency. FDA AMENDMENT Add at end of moton, after resdency : and that the same rghts are extended to UK natonals workng n publc servces elsewhere n the EU. GMB SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 08
AMENDMENT In the fnal paragraph nsert new sub-paragraphs and : halt all planned staffng reductons, prvatsaton and changes to terms and condtons n the Cvl Servce and ts related bodes ncludng planned cuts to redundancy pay ensure full consultaton wth unons on any bodes that are establshed n relaton to the EU referendum decson and ts consequences. and re-number subsequent bullet ponts. Publc and Commercal Servces Unon 06 Supportng a modern ndustral strategy Congress notes wth concern that the UK needs an mmedate njecton n nvestment n research, nnovaton and sklls to be able to lead and compete n the global marketplace and n order to meet the challenges facng our manufacturng and servce ndustres. Jobs and research and development (R&D) have mgrated out of the country manly on the bass of prce or cost. UK spendng n R&D on developng new technology and products should be around three per cent of GDP but the UK and the EU averages less than half that of countres lke South Korea. In order to encourage technologcal nnovatons, stmulate growth and revtalse them our key ndustres wll need a modern ndustral strategy across our four natons to open up new markets and job opportuntes. Congress notes that the government needs to focus on nfrastructure programmes that wll mpact on productvty and busness confdence regonally and natonally. These programmes must recognse publc procurement polces to support and retan UK jobs, sklls and ndustres. Followng the referendum, the government needs an urgent plan n place to cushon us from another recesson. Congress calls on the TUC to: work wth afflated unons to develop a natonal plan to shape current and future ndustral strategy develop procurement polces that put trade unons and those who nvest n sklls at the heart of the process launch a campagn to retan and uplft hgh qualty sklls n the UK. GMB AMENDMENT In paragraph 2, at the end of sentence 1, after cost nsert and uncertanty surroundng the mplcatons of Brext for scence and research wll worsen ths stuaton. At end of paragraph 3 add: Ths wll requre co-nvestment from both publc and prvate sectors. At end of paragraph 4 add: Gender-balanced workforces wth sklls n scence, technology, engneerng and mathematcs (STEM) wll provde the buldng blocks for future successful hghqualty ndustres. Prospect SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 09
AMENDMENT Insert new paragraph 4: Congress beleves a modern ndustral strategy must be rooted n workplace ndustral democracy whereby the extensve knowledge, experence and nsttutonal memory of trade unon representatves can be harnessed to help develop and rebalance the ndustres they work n. Assocated Socety of Locomotve Engneers and Fremen 07 Save Our Steel Congress deplores the neglect by government that has led to a crss n the UK steel ndustry wth devastatng consequences for UK steel workers, ther communtes and the wder economy. The UK steel ndustry has suffered from the dumpng of cheap Chnese steel, hgh energy blls, and the absence of an ndustral polcy wth manufacturng at ts heart. Congress recognses that steel s a strategcally mportant ndustry and has a vtal role to play n the actve ndustral strategy that the country so urgently needs. Ths crss affects not only the UK steel ndustry and ts workers but the whole of manufacturng ncludng the automotve sector, aerospace and engneerng, as well as supply ndustres and our natonal nfrastructure. Congress calls on the General Councl to campagn to ensure a long-term and sustanable future for the UK steel ndustry wth an actve role for UK government, ncludng a place for the steel ndustry n an actve ndustral strategy and a commtment to use UK steel for all major nfrastructure and constructon projects and government-backed contracts. Unte 08 Industral strategy for steel Congress recognses that the steel crss, whch came to publc attenton n October 2015 when SSI went nto lqudaton, s far from over. Congress beleves that t s vtal that the profle of the Save our Steel campagn s mantaned and pressure ncreased on government to delver the level playng feld UK steelmakers need to be sustanable long-term. Congress notes that UK steelworkers have heard plenty of warm words from government and that numerous workng groups have been establshed; however, to date lttle has been delvered for ndustry n terms of tangble results. Congress notes that the key areas where UK steelmakers are at a compettve dsadvantage are exactly the same as they were a year ago: energy costs, busness rates, procurement and unfar trade practces. Congress beleves the ncreasng fragmentaton of the UK steel ndustry and the UK s uncertan economc future mean that now more than ever we need government to adopt a comprehensve ndustral strategy for steel. SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 10
Congress notes and welcomes the belated apparent recognton by government of the mportance of ndustral strategy and wll seek to hold mnsters to account on ther commtments. Congress calls on the General Councl to: contnue to support and rase the profle of the Save our Steel campagn lobby the government to develop, wth trade unon nvolvement, an ndustral strategy for steel nvolvng a long-term strategc focus on nvestment, sklls and research and development. Communty AMENDMENT Add new sub-paragraph at end: campagn for an ndustral strategy that requres the use of Brtsh steel for all state-funded nfrastructure projects ncludng ral, and that supports the wder steel ndustry supply chan and ensures approprate socal and economc mpact assessments are made by ssung authortes ahead of the awardng of publc sector contracts. Assocated Socety of Locomotve Engneers and Fremen 09 Workng harder not smarter Declnng productvty growth s seen by government, employers and unons as one of the bggest obstacles to mproved economc growth. Congress s concerned that wthout much hgher productvty we wll struggle to fund our publc servces, mprove our lvng standards and create a farer socety. Although there are multple causes of low productvty, Congress supports Acas call for greater attenton to be gven to the way workplaces are organsed, the part played by managers and leaders, and the role and nvolvement of workers and ther representatves. It welcomes the Smth Insttute s report Workng Harder not Smarter, based on a cross-sectoral survey of over 7,500 unon members, whch shows despte ncreased work ntensty the majorty do not thnk that they have become more productve and that just 14 per cent are confdent ther suggestons for mprovements are lstened to. Recognsng that wthout unon nfluence the drve for better productvty could lead to fewer jobs and more nsecure employment, Congress calls on the General Councl to: work wth government and employers to ensure effectve worker voce n tacklng the productvty puzzle support sectoral ntatves organse an event on ths theme, ncludng opportuntes to share good practce. Prospect SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 11
AMENDMENT Insert new paragraph 4: Congress also beleves that the mportance of decent pay and condtons should be emphassed n the debate on productvty. As the Smth Insttute report ponts out, a strong sense of unfarness about pay can be a powerful de-motvator. In exstng paragraph 4, sub-paragraph, after ntatves add ncludng efforts to mprove coverage of collectve barganng. Unon of Shop, Dstrbutve and Alled Workers AMENDMENT Insert new paragraph 4: The productvty challenge s also relevant to publc sector employment. Workload s a factor n educaton s recrutment and retenton crss. Congress commends ATL s onlne workload tracker and Make1Change campagn, whch help compare productvty constrants and share deas to tackle them. In exstng paragraph 4, sub-paragraph, after ntatves add and unon tools helpng members to work smarter not harder. Assocaton of Teachers and Lecturers 10 The mpact of automaton on employment Congress notes the growng mpact of automaton and robotcs n many workplaces. Research suggests that as many as 10 mllon UK jobs could be lost over the next 10 to 20 years as a consequence of technologcal change n the workplace. In many ndustres, such developments present profound mplcatons for not only employment, but also the qualty of work, tranng, and safety. In shppng, for example, trals of crewless technology on board a ferry are due to start next year and Rolls-Royce s predctng that autonomous merchant shps wll be n servce by the end of ths decade. Congress therefore calls for the TUC to: develop a proactve strategy for dealng wth the challenges presented by workplace automaton and to develop resources to assst member unons n respondng to employers who use technology n a socally damagng way conduct research on the ssues and to produce polcy programmes to demonstrate how technology could be used to mprove the nature of work and to harness the technologcal opportuntes and make them work for, rather than aganst, workers best nterests, and to ensure that the UK workforce s gven the tranng and support to make transtons to new and better jobs and that the productvty ganed by growng automaton s shared by all. Nautlus Internatonal 11 After Pars: clmate change, just transton and clmate jobs Congress welcomes the recognton n the COP21 Pars Agreement of 1.5 degrees rse as a safe lmt and the role of fossl fuels n clmate change, but regrets ts falure to delver the bndng legal commtments necessary to acheve ths or any safe contanment, ncludng any mmedate acton on fossl fuels and clmate justce. SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 12
Congress condemns the government s dangerous dash for ol and gas, and welcomes, n contrast, Jeremy Corbyn s backng for One Mllon Clmate Jobs and a Zero-Carbon Brtan by 2050. Congress welcomes the Pars-launched Break Free from Fossl Fuels, the global justce movement formed by frontlne communtes affected by fossl fuel extracton to accelerate a just transton to 100 per cent renewable energy. Congress commts the TUC to develop an actve energy and clmate change strategy, and to work wth other organsatons to campagn for: energy democracy and a rapd transton from fossl fuels a stop to arport expanson promoton of alternatve to short-haul flghts, ncludng publcly owned ral n UK and Europe v a genune commtment to reducng lethal ar pollutants v a just transton employment strategy to clmate jobs and well-pad, sklled, sustanable employment v mproved lnks between ant-war, refugee and clmate campagn movements v acton aganst TTIP, CETA and other trade treates threatenng clmate justce v a Clmate Justce Fund funded by wealthy natons and pollutng companes. Congress agrees to lobby the Labour Party and the government on these demands and to actvely engage trade unonsts n debate and campagnng on these ssues. Transport Salared Staffs Assocaton AMENDMENT In paragraph 4, delete sub-paragraph. In exstng sub-paragraph, delete alternatve to short-haul flghts, ncludng. Brtsh Ar Lne Plots Assocaton 12 Food poverty n the UK Food poverty s one of the starkest sgns of nequalty n the UK and s on the ncrease. Food poverty s the nablty to afford, or to have access to, food to make up a healthy det. It s about the qualty of food as well as quantty. It s not just about hunger, but also about beng approprately nourshed to attan and mantan health. Congress s outraged that at a tme when the UK s the nnth rchest country n the world by GDP chldren are gong hungry. Accordng to fgures publshed by the Chld Poverty Acton Group n June 2016, 200,000 more chldren are growng SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 13
up n poverty, up 3.9 mllon n total, whch s set to grow by 50 per cent by 2020. It s an ndctment on the UK government that 60 per cent of poor chldren lve n workng famles. The BDA understands the mportance of eatng a varety of foods n order to mprove general well-beng and reduce the rsk of condtons ncludng heart dsease, stroke, some cancers, dabetes and osteopoross. A proper, balanced det can also have a benefcal effect on mental health and mportantly, chldren s ablty to learn. Congress recognses that good work has been started to tackle food poverty n Wales and Scotland but s concerned at the lack of postve acton taken n England. Congress calls on the General Councl to work wth the BDA to develop a campagn hghlghtng the causes and effects of food poverty n the UK and ensurng ts eradcaton. Brtsh Detetc Assocaton AMENDMENT Insert new paragraph 3: Congress s appalled that the UK government s polcy of deregulaton n respect of chargng n schools has resulted n many chldren and young people beng dened access to a school lunch and nutrtonal snacks on grounds of affordablty. In the fnal paragraph, delete the BDA and replace wth afflates. NASUWT 13 Tax relef on penson contrbutons The UK s decson to leave the EU rases sgnfcant uncertanty for employers. The value of companes n the fnancal servces sector has been badly ht by the referendum result and t s mportant the government doesn t mpose further challenges on ths ndustry. At the last budget the proposal to ntroduce a Penson ISA was shelved. Followng the decson to ext the UK, Congress fears that the government may return to ths proposal to boost the Treasury s coffers. However, t has a number of dsadvantages: Removng tax relef on penson contrbutons s a dsncentve to save for both employees and employers. It s ncompatble wth the exstng pensons tax regme, whch makes t more fragmented, complcated and costly for savers, and gves employees another chance to opt out of auto-enrolment. Changes of ths sze are costly for penson provders who employ thousands of UK workers. Congress beleves t s lkely to result n further redundances n our sector. SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 14
Ths proposal s bad for savers, bad for the people who work n the pensons ndustry and bad for the long-term fnancal securty of the UK. Penson reforms must focus on ncreasng tax relef for those on the lowest ncomes so they contnue to save for retrement. Congress calls on the TUC to oppose any: a b government ntatves that wll further harm the fnancal servces sector and put the jobs of thousands of unon members across the country at rsk attempt by the government to address current budgetary constrants by cuttng pensons tax relef. Aegs AMENDMENT In the fnal paragraph, sub-paragraph b, after cuttng nsert any saver s And new sub-paragraphs c and d at the end: c contnuaton of the current lfetme and annual allowance polces that dscourage savng and penalse members for scheme desgn and nvestment outcomes over whch they have no control d extenson of the freedom and choce agenda that undermnes workplace savng for retrement FDA 14 Lvng wage Congress notes that the so-called natonal lvng wage for workers aged 25 and over falls far short of the real lvng wage. Congress beleves that there s no justfcaton for workers aged under 25 to be pad less than ther older colleagues. Payng young workers less than the establshed rate rsks devalung young workers and encouragng age dscrmnaton n recrutment. Congress s concerned that some employers are falsely clamng that the ntroducton of the natonal lvng wage wll lead to job losses. We are also concerned that some employers wll attempt to reduce other terms and condtons and cut hours to fund the mplementaton of the natonal lvng wage. Congress notes that all aspects of the employment package, ncludng premum payments, allowances and the avalablty of hours must be taken nto account when lookng at low pay. Congress notes that n Aprl 2015 there were an estmated 209,000 jobs stll pad below the Natonal Mnmum Wage wth very few prosecutons or evdence of wdespread enforcement. Ths non-complance wth the statutory mnmum wage s lkely to ncrease sgnfcantly followng the ntroducton of the natonal lvng wage. Congress agrees to: step up the campagn for a real lvng wage for all workers regardless of age make the case for organsng workers and wdenng the coverage of collectve barganng agreements, to remove age-related pay scales and mprove overall terms and condtons SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 15
lobby the government to nvest further resources n enforcement and awareness of natonal mnmum wage rates. Unon of Shop, Dstrbutve and Alled Workers AMENDMENT Insert new paragraph 4: Congress notes that, n addton to retal, adult socal care s a sector where natonal mnmum wage non-complance has become depressngly commonplace often as a result of a falure to pay travel tme n homecare, or a falure to pay for sleep-ns n resdental care. UNISON AMENDMENT Add new fnal paragraph: Congress condemns the contnued falure to enforce mnmum wage legslaton for seafarers n the UK shppng ndustry, ncludng n the offshore supply sector where pay of 2 per hour, some 70 per cent below the natonal lvng wage of 7.20 per hour, has been dscovered on some vessels. Natonal Unon of Ral, Martme and Transport Workers 15 Real mpact of the lvng wage Congress condemns those employers who use Osborne s so-called lvng wage as an excuse for cuttng long-establshed terms and condtons to compensate for reductons n profts, leavng some of the most vulnerable people n UK workplaces on the brnk of poverty. Bakers, Food and Alled Workers Unon AMENDMENT Add at end: Ths ncludes contractors n major government departments such as HMRC, whch are cuttng workers hours to offset ncreases n pay. Congress fully supports workers takng acton aganst such employers and condemns the government for falng to ensure that people who work at ts own offces, ncludng cleaners, are pad farly. Publc and Commercal Servces Unon 16 Far pay for young workers Congress beleves n equal pay for equal work. Congress notes that the Conservatve government excluded workers under the age of 25 from the ncreased mnmum (lvng) wage. Snce the recesson peak n 2009 the wages of young workers has fallen by 25 per cent wth young people under 25 now beng pad on average 42 per cent less than other workers. Youth pay rates are clearly dscrmnatory and a basc breach of the concept of equal pay for equal work. The Human Rghts Commsson also welcomed the proposals to abolsh the dfferentals based on age. Some countres operate much farer systems than the UK. SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 16
Congress beleves that the so-called natonal lvng wage, whch came nto force n Aprl 2016, amounts to age dscrmnaton aganst young workers. The new 7.20 rate wll boost the mnmum wage for many workng people, but does not apply to workers under the age of 25. Congress beleves that nvestng n young people through Apprentceshps s fundamentally mportant to any long-term strategy for economc growth and that all Apprentceshps should offer hgh qualty tranng as well as good prospects and a far wage. Congress beleves that the mnmum wage for apprentces, whch currently starts at just 3.30 an hour, remans shockngly low and that a sgnfcant number of employers fal to pay even the mserly legal mnmum. Low pay affects workers n many ways. The nablty to gan ndependence, and feelngs of low self-worth and low morale are keenly apparent n areas where low pay s so prevalent. Congress expresses ts concerns that the government decson to lmt the natonal lvng wage to 25-year-olds and over could encourage employers to re-ntroduce lower youth rates. The youth unemployment rate s the worst that t has been for 20 years, wth young people three tmes more lkely to be unemployed. Some would argue that the pay dfferentals ncrease the lkelhood of employers hrng young people; clearly ths s not the case. Most young people are gettng the same knock-backs of no experence, no job. Yet very few companes are prepared to nvest n the tranng requred to gve young people the experence they need to succeed. There should be a mnmum rate of pay for a job, and that rate should apply to any worker who carres out that job. There should not be dfferent age-related pay rates. Over recent years, trade unons have successfully negotated the removal of youth rates from many agreements, ensurng that young workers are pad the full rate for the job. Through ths negotatng and campagnng work, trade unons have successfully tackled age dscrmnaton n the UK workplace. Congress therefore calls for the TUC to: campagn for the abolton of youth rates and strve for a system that s based on equal pay for equal work, makng the case that young people should not be dscrmnated aganst through lower youth rates launch a wdespread publc campagn decryng the government s effort to create an underclass of cheap young labour and to call for the age cut off for the lvng wage to be abolshed campagn for far pay for apprentces and a lvng wage wherever possble for all workers regardless of age v produce TUC lterature and research on the ssues of low pay of young people that can be used to support ntra-unon campagns SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 17
v agree to combat any further attempts by the government to ncrease that age at whch the natonal lvng wage s mplemented v campagn for the natonal lvng wage to apply to all workers and for a lvng wage of 10 per hour for all, ncludng young workers v ensure that the campagn s nclusve of all workers ncludng freelancers and the self-employed. TUC Young Workers Conference (ths moton s exempt from the 250-word lmt) SECTION ONE JOBS, GROWTH AND A NEW ECONOMY 18
SECTION TWO RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 17 Protectng worker and trade unon rghts n the EU Brext Congress beleves that the purpose of the trade unon movement s to ensure that workers rghts are protected, mantaned and enhanced. We must oppose any assault on those rghts as a result of the decson to leave the EU. The EU has played a key role n settng legal standards protectng workers from explotaton, nequalty, hazards, dscrmnaton and the promoton of good employment practces. Leave campagners who promsed these rghts would be respected must be held to account. Congress notes that ths movement campagned vgorously aganst the Trade Unon Act 2016, and that our rghts as workers contnue to be among the most restrcted n Europe. Any further restrctons through Brext negotatons are completely unacceptable. Congress calls for: the recognton of trade unons as key stakeholders n the Brext negotatons a campagn to ensure that the UK government does not repeal any current rghts guaranteed by the EU or water down or dsmantle TU and worker rghts the rghts of exstng EU workers to reman n the UK to be protected, whlst ensurng the movement of workers n the EU s a key recprocal rght n any agreement that allows UK access to the sngle market v repeal of the Trade Unon Act, and the adopton of the IER manfesto for Labour Law v the General Councl to coordnate resstance and opposton to any attacks on the rghts, securty and lvng standards of workng people. UNISON AMENDMENT In paragraph 4 nsert new sub-paragraph : afflates to be partcularly aware of the need to protect exstng equaltes and dscrmnaton legslaton, recognsng that the hard-won rghts of pregnant workers and workng parents and carers are especally prone to beng attacked and reduced. Chartered Socety of Physotherapy AMENDMENT Add new sub-paragraph v at end: v a TUC campagn, n the lght of a potentally mpendng recesson, to end the polcy of publc sector pay restrant to ensure that publc sector workers, ncludng NHS staff, do not pay the prce of Brext wth a decade of pay restrant. Royal College of Mdwves SECTION TWO RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 19
AMENDMENT In paragraph 4 nsert new sub-paragraph : the TUC to seek assurances from the government that UK natonals workng n the EU on behalf of UK publc sector employers wll be guaranteed job securty and to work wth prvate sector employers to provde the same assurances for ther UK workers n the EU FDA 18 A new deal for workers Whle Davd Cameron and George Osborne have been forced out of government, Congress notes that ther legacy s an economy n whch workers are under greater pressure to work harder and faster, for longer and for less, than at any tme n recent memory. In too many ndustres the only nnovaton workng people have seen s n new forms of nsecure employment, from bogus self-employment and zero-hours contracts to PBA contracts explotng the agency workers loophole. Mllons of workers earn less than a genune lvng wage, have no access to a decent penson and hundreds of thousands are stll pad less than the legal mnmum. The world of work s ncreasngly charactersed by effcency and performance targets that push employees to the very lmt. Congress agrees that ths country needs a bold new deal for workers, wth employment rghts, collectve barganng and new forms of ownershp and governance at ts heart. Congress also beleves that the EU referendum campagn and the demonsaton of mmgrants by the populst rght, together wth the Tores attempts at re-brandng, demonstrates the need for the labour movement to engage workng people n ths agenda. Congress therefore nstructs the TUC Executve to work towards and co-ordnate a major natonal demonstraton n 2017 on a new deal for workers; and to develop a common barganng agenda for TUC afflates to tackle nsecure employment models across the UK. Communcaton Workers Unon 19 Umbrella companes Congress s concerned about the growth of umbrella companes n constructon and other ndustral sectors. Congress notes that Treasury reforms ntroduced n Aprl 2016 have resulted n greater fnancal dsadvantages beng placed on workers forced to operate under umbrella companes. Umbrella companes offer no fnancal advantages to workers operatng under them. The only reason why workers operate under an umbrella company s because they are gven no opton and t s the only way that they can secure employment. SECTION TWO RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 20
Congress further notes that umbrella companes are just one of many suspect employment models whch have been establshed to ether deny workers employment rghts or as a vehcle for employers to avod payng Natonal Insurance contrbutons. Congress beleves that all such forms of non-standard employment need to be prohbted n order to ensure that workers can fully exercse ther employment rghts, understand ther own employment relatonshp and freely access other employee benefts such as the auto-enrolment penson system. Congress recognses that there wll not be any radcal change n employment relatons wthout the poltcal wll to ntroduce major reforms. Congress calls on the General Councl to: undertake a detaled survey of all sectors to properly assess the level of umbrella company membershp and other non-standard employment relatonshps, n the UK lobby all poltcal partes to wn a commtment for specfc legslaton that ensures that workers are not exploted by beng coerced nto undertakng employment where the dstncton between the employer and the employee s not accurate or transparent. Unon of Constructon, Alled Trades and Techncans AMENDMENT In paragraph 1, after constructon nsert, educaton. In paragraph 2, after Aprl 2016 nsert faled to tackle unscrupulous and tax-dodgng practces by umbrella companes and. In the fnal paragraph add new sub-paragraph : press the government to ensure full protecton for agency workers n the context of the UK s post-brext strategy. NASUWT 20 2016 Trade Unon Act Congress condemns the Trade Unon Act whch s the bggest attack on trade unons n decades and represents a further transfer of power aganst workers and n favour of the employer. In addton to the undemocratc ballot thresholds, new requrements on ballot nformaton and notces and duraton of dsputes wll not only weaken unons but wll provde for legal uncertanly wth employers challengng unons and seekng to persuade courts to make rulngs to ensure the provsons of the Act are even more detrmental. The requrement that every workplace must have a pcket supervsor advsed to the polce may not only be unworkable and put unons at rsk of challenge but wll leave actvsts open to ntmdaton and vctmsaton and, as the Blacklst Support Group have warned, could create a state sponsored blacklst. SECTION TWO RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 21
Congress also notes the Act has mantaned ts attack on unons poltcal campagnng by requrng new members to opt n to poltcal funds. Turnover n unon membershp wll mean that the requrement to opt n wll quckly become the norm rather than the excepton. Congress beleves the General Councl needs to convene an urgent conference of afflates to provde a practcal forum, ncludng workshops, as to how to best coordnate our legal and ndustral response to the Act n lne wth polcy already set by Congress. The locaton and bass of representaton to be determned by the General Councl. Congress applauds that under Jeremy Corbyn s leadershp the Labour Party has commtted to repeal the ant-trade unon laws. Natonal Unon of Ral, Martme and Transport Workers AMENDMENT Add new paragraph at end: Beyond repeal, there needs to be a new framework of law ncludng: transferrng work ssues from BEIS to a new specalst mnstry a rght to organse ncludng unon access to workers a rght to bargan collectvely wth statutory support for sectoral collectve barganng v an unequvocal rght to strke. Unte AMENDMENT Insert new paragraph 5: Congress notes that the ILO Commttee of Experts has asked the government to revew key clauses to ensure that the Act meets ILO requrements, ncludng by removng the 40 per cent threshold from educaton and transport, and that the government was asked to report back to the ILO on developments next year. Natonal Unon of Teachers AMENDMENT Insert new paragraph 6: Congress should dscuss all optons for challengng the new legslaton. Ths should nclude steppng up the campagn to scrap the Act and other ant-unon legslaton as well as the practcal steps to be taken to support any unons and groups of workers threatened by ths antworker legslaton. Fre Brgades Unon 21 Survellance devces Congress notes that the survellance of workers va electronc trackng devces has been of growng concern to trade unons. Congress further notes that CCTV, hdden cameras, car trackers, and Personal Dgtal Assstants (PDAs) are ncreasngly used n the workplace. Companes justfy ther use by argung they protect lone workers, ncrease safety, or reduce fuel costs by montorng drvng speed. SECTION TWO RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 22
Congress recognses that n the wrong hands, these devces become a menace n the workplace. Ths ncludes: faulty devces feedng back the wrong nformaton to the employer, employees not beng told they are beng montored and personal detals lke a home address becomng avalable to unauthorsed employees, or devces beng used prmarly to buld a case to dscplne or dsmss employees. Congress s aware that unnecessary levels of survellance and montorng have a detrmental effect on the workplace, reducng the level of trust, affectng productvty and ncreasng workplace stress. Congress calls on the General Councl: to create a comprehensve good practce gude to survellance n the workplace for a hgh profle campagn to ensure that employers are followng good practce and actng legally when operatng survellance measures n the workplace to pressurse the Informaton Commssoners Offce to start ensurng employers follow data protecton laws wth regards to workplace survellance v to ensure that workers have a clearer understandng of ther rghts wth regards to workplace survellance v to name and shame companes that fal to adhere to good practce and ndulge n unethcal or llegal practces. Unon of Constructon, Alled Trades and Techncans AMENDMENT Insert new paragraph 5: Congress beleves that local trade unon offcals should be consulted on the use of CCTV montorng pror to ts deployment and s opposed to the use of covert survellance. CCTV should not be used for the routne montorng of workers and footage should only be acted upon n exceptonal crcumstances. Communty 22 Survellance and blacklstng Congress congratulates the contrbuton of whstleblowers to our socety, and beleves that those who challenge dangerous, llegal or reckless practce on the part of employers (or others) by expressng ther concerns to ther trade unons or journalsts play a vtal role n safeguardng workers. Congress beleves the growng use of state survellance to access journalsts communcatons and expose whstleblowers denttes undermnes press freedom and democracy. Congress notes the journalstc and unon actvty of sx NUJ members were montored and placed on a domestc extremsm database by the Metropoltan Polce. It further notes the extensve targetng and blacklstng of trade unonsts, now the subject of the Ptchford Inqury nto undercover polce operatons. SECTION TWO RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 23
Revelatons of the secret accessng of journalstc data through the Regulaton of Investgatory Powers Act further lfted the ld on how extensve ths culture of mproper survellance on journalsts and whstleblowers has become. Congress congratulates the NUJ and others for obtanng sgnfcant amendments to the Investgatory Powers Bll currently before Parlament ncludng protectng unons from state survellance but beleves further changes are vtal. Safeguards should apply across the powers set out through the Bll; any survellance of journalsts should be subject to pror notce wth the opportunty to challenge such a demand to a judge. Congress calls on the General Councl to campagn robustly aganst the growng survellance culture and to lobby hard to secure further amendments to ths dangerous Bll n order to safeguard journalsm and whstleblowers, and to contnue to campagn to put an end to blacklstng. Natonal Unon of Journalsts AMENDMENT Add new fnal paragraph: Congress applauds Unte, UCATT, GMB and the Blacklst Support Group n achevng compensaton for workers blacklsted by 44 constructon companes. In exstng fnal paragraph add at end: and call a natonal day of acton to hghlght the urgent need for better law to make the punshment ft the crme and protect workers from survellance and contemporary blacklstng. Unte 23 Challengng the poltcs of hate Congress s deeply alarmed at the rse n vsble, expressed racsm snce the EU referendum. Across the UK, racst attacks on Black communtes, refugees and those perceved to be of mgrant backgrounds rose dramatcally. Congress notes that even n London the polce receved 599 allegatons of racst abuse over the 24 hours followng the vote. It has hghlghted the contnued vulnerablty of refugees, mgrants and the UK s long-establshed Black communtes to racst attacks. Ths has been decades n the makng, wth scaremongerng and demonsaton of mmgrants accompaned by legslatve attacks on mgrants and refugees. Congress fears that Brext wll be used as an excuse for yet more attacks on mgrant workers as well as the removal of workplace rghts regarded as red tape. Ths wll exacerbate the UK s economc problems, leave publc servces reelng, dvde our communtes and lead to a race to the bottom at work. Congress asserts that the only real answer to low pay and explotaton for all workers s stronger employment rghts protectons, stronger collectve barganng and trade unon soldarty aganst racsm. Congress further asserts that the trade unon movement must stand at the forefront of tacklng racsm both at work and n our communtes. Congress calls on the General Councl to work wth unons and campagn groups n: a renewed focus on tacklng racsm n the workplace and beyond SECTION TWO RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 24
counterng attacks on mgrant workers and refugees at natonal and workplace level resstng attempts by the hard-rght to strp away employment protectons. UNISON AMENDMENT At the end of paragraph 3, after communtes, add and commends the work already beng done across the movement to challenge racsm. In the fnal paragraph nsert new sub-paragraph and re-number exstng sub-paragraph as v : developng resources and materals to be used n workplace campagns to support actvsts, both to challenge ncdences of racsm and proactvely to dsplay a unted, zero-tolerance approach to racsm. Unon of Shop, Dstrbutve and Alled Workers 24 Challengng racst hate crme Congress notes wth concern that followng the EU referendum result there has been an upsurge n racal volence, harassment and assaults n communtes across the UK and a fvefold ncrease of reportng race-hate complants. The Leave campagn s content and tone was based on the fear of mgrants and foregners desgned to ferment alarm and a sege mentalty of the UK beng overrun by mllons of mgrants. Ths has gven some people comfort and confdence to racally abuse and harass mgrants, people of colour and people of Muslm fath and even target mgrant chldren. Ths racst behavour such as assaults, fre-bombng and grafft has been reported across the UK ncludng on socal meda. The Reman campagn faled to challenge ths racst rhetorc or advocate the postve contrbuton of mmgrants to the UK, hstorcally or otherwse. Congress recognses that the TUC and many afflates have a proud and honourable hstory of challengng and confrontng racsm at work or n socety as shown by the Unte Aganst Racsm and Respect campagns of the 90s. Congress calls on the TUC to: launch a well-resourced Stand up to Racsm campagn to condemn these attacks and contnue the fght aganst hatred and racsm work wth communty and ant-racst organsatons to arrange a natonal trade unon ant-racst demonstraton provde materals to afflates for members on what to do n cases of racal abuse or hate crmes v lead and coordnate a recrutment campagn drected at mgrant workers. GMB SECTION TWO RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 25
25 Brext, racsm and austerty Congress s deeply concerned that n the aftermath of the EU referendum there has been a sharp ncrease n racal ncdents and hate crme. Congress notes that over the past sx years there has been a growth n racsm created by the rght-wng meda and the government s ncreasngly vtrolc rhetorc on mmgraton, ncludng the ntroducton of polces such as Theresa May s Go Home vans. The referendum result has encouraged and provded legtmacy for the open expresson of such prejudce. Congress beleves that the vote for Brext was largely based on dsllusonment and poltcal dsengagement n many communtes that have suffered from underfunded publc servces and chronc unemployment for decades. Congress notes that the Mgraton Impacts Fund set up n 2008 to provde 50m to ease the pressure of mmgraton on housng, schools and hosptals was scrapped by the Tores n 2010. Congress condemns UKIP and the Tory rght for channellng the njustce felt n many workng class communtes nto blamng mgraton and mgrants for low pay, unemployment, housng shortages and poor publc servces. Congress calls on the General Councl to develop a new ant-racsm campagn that s ntegrated wth an actve ant-cuts, ant-austerty campagn, ncludng: engagng wth people over the ssue of mmgraton by opposng all cuts n educaton and health servces and callng for a house buldng programme argung for the benefts of mgraton and the free movement of workers a clear alternatve economc polcy that wll provde decent jobs and hope for the future. Publc and Commercal Servces Unon 26 Brext, mgraton and Prevent Congress condemns the dsgraceful racsm and scaremongerng over mmgraton durng the EU referendum campagn and the ncrease n racst ncdents that have followed. Ths ant-mmgrant, ant-refugee rhetorc and xenophobc language also characterses much poltcal and meda dscourse about Brtan s ethnc and relgous mnortes. Congress beleves that trade unons must take the lead n defendng the contrbuton and rghts of mgrants and refugees aganst any attempts to use the referendum result as an excuse for the mposton of further measures that wll nflame publc dscourse aganst refugees and mgraton and wll ncrease ther vulnerablty to explotaton and dscrmnaton. It s vtal that the Brext negotatons, and freedom of movement n partcular, are free from xenophoba. SECTION TWO RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 26