Received from: Prospect
Congress welcomes the focus of the TUC, in its 150th anniversary year, on renewing the case for trade unions for newer and younger workers. Increasing the proportion of younger workers, particularly in the private sector, is essential to the future of unions between now and 2030. Congress also believes that making a new case for collective voice should be a priority for the TUC. Many younger workers have no experience of collective bargaining and are unaware of how unions bargain for workplace improvements.
Congress believes:
i. The economy is not delivering for workers. A decade on from the financial crash neither wages nor productivity have recovered.
ii. Lower levels of collective bargaining correlate with higher income inequality in OECD countries.
iii. Government attempts to promote collective voice have been inadequate and must mean more than simply workers on boards.
iv. Increasing collective voice is good for workers, unions and the economy.
v. A greater voice for unions, at company and industry level, is key to improving productivity, skills and sharing prosperity.
vi. Collective voice is not just about traditional workplaces, it is also relevant to improving conditions for freelancers and the gig economy.
The decline in collective bargaining has many causes, from the changing nature of work to systematic government attacks on union rights. Congress calls on the General Council to:
a. prioritise collective voice and the future of collective bargaining part of the TUC’s work on the future of unions
b. investigate how we make the case for collective bargaining to younger workers.
Prospect