[2019] Motion 22 New Deal for Workers campaign

Composited motion

Received from:

Merged into composite 07

Congress agrees it has never been more important in our recent history for the trade union movement to come together and deliver a bold new deal for workers.

The world of work today is a harsher and more pressurised environment than at any time in living memory – in or out of the EU, new technology and the intensification of work only threatens to make this worse.

We cannot wait for political change and must mobilise to challenge unacceptable insecurity, in-work poverty and the growing pressure workers are under.

While Congress recognises the work that has been done on a TUC New Deal Charter, we need a major public campaign, starting now, and we call on the TUC to re-evaluate its priorities accordingly.

Congress agrees the General Council must now implement the following in support of a New Deal:

i. a national day of action in the first half of 2020, with a range of options on action for unions to choose from
ii. a major effort to engage union members and all workers through social media and workplace meetings in the run-up to a day of action
iii. a New Deal campaign group to be established, meeting monthly from October, with representation from each affiliate
iv. co-ordinating co-operation between unions at a sectoral level on common bargaining agendas
v. organising a summit in the first half of 2020 to agree a charter to promote co-operation on recruiting the millions of unorganised workers in the UK and ending inter-union competition.

Communication Workers Union

Amendment

  • Insert new sub-paragraph iv. and renumber subsequent sub-pars:
    “iv. initiate wide-ranging industrial analysis, informed by affiliates, with the aim of developing a common industrial strategy and the meaningful co-ordination of collective bargaining. The scope of the analysis will include: industrial information sharing, mapping the top employers including their global structures and owners, potential for leverage and campaign plans”

Unite

Amendment

  • Add at end of paragraph 2:
    “Millions of working people either have insecure contracts, experience stress, feel unsafe, experience discrimination, don’t know their rights, are underpaid for their overtime, are in poverty or don’t feel like they have a voice at work.”
  • In sub-paragraph i. insert “high profile” before “national day” and replace “in the first half of 2020” with “on Friday 1 May, 2020”

GMB