Received from: NAPO
Congress welcomes the Public Sector Forum between employers, government and trade unions.
Dialogue of this type is long overdue and is in marked contrast to the negative attitudes to trade unions and decent working conditions adopted by the last administration.
Congress acknowledges the challenges ahead for the parties to this tripartite arrangement, when considering the need for fair pay and suitable investment that align with commitments made in the government’s manifesto.
Nevertheless, Congress is deeply concerned by developments that occurred during 2025–2026 pay negotiations in one major public sector department. Here, following a protracted period of dialogue and an unacceptable offer, a final proposal emerged which was subject to demands by Treasury and Cabinet Office officials about what the trade unions involved could say or recommend to their members.
Napo is especially grateful to the TUC for their assistance in helping to resolve the impasse, but Congress agrees that interference of this kind in collective bargaining is totally unacceptable.
It is a fundamental right of a trade union to act in the best interests of its members and Congress instructs the TUC representatives to the Public Sector Forum to seek to establish and maintain this important principle.
Napo