Received from: Prospect
Congress notes the government’s stated intention to negotiate an ambitious new relationship with the EU.
Brexit has had a significant negative impact on the economy. Studies suggest GDP may be reduced by up to eight per cent, with consequences for jobs, investment and workplace security. Barriers to trade, collaboration and mobility have reduced opportunities and weakened long-term growth.
Congress believes that without ongoing alignment with evolving EU workplace laws delivered through the European Social Model, UK workers risk falling behind on issues such as minimum wages, collective bargaining, voice in multinational companies, pay transparency and work-life balance.
More fundamentally, as the world adjusts to the instability caused by President Trump, more issues that are vital to the interests of UK workers, from defence industrial strategy to the regulation of AI, are being decided at EU level. The UK does not have a seat at the table for these discussions, and UK workers will suffer as a result.
Congress instructs the General Council to:
i. develop and implement a strategy to persuade the government to negotiate the deepest possible partnership with the EU, prioritising the needs of working people. This partnership should be guided by the national interest, not by arbitrary red lines, and no options should be off the table
ii. work in solidarity with like-minded union confederations in Europe to build coordinated pressure for a close, worker-focused, UK-EU relationship.
Prospect
AMENDMENT
After para six add:
iii. lobby for better alignment with the EU on trade measures including CBAM, to ensure UK producers have smoother access to EU markets and so that unfairly traded and high carbon products are not diverted into UK markets due to our having in place weaker trade measures than the EU.
Community