[2020] Motions 04 Manufacturing: a strategy to recover and rebuild back better

Composited motion

Received from:

Merged into composite 02

Congress believes we face a challenge unprecedented in scale: the ongoing public health crisis, severe economic contraction after a decade of depression, a climate emergency and Brexit uncertainties.

To avoid a cliff edge of job losses our manufacturing industries demand a strategy that is more than short-term support. In the automotive sector one in six jobs are already at risk; the aviation crisis threatens our aerospace and metals sectors.

Congress calls on the TUC to build alliances with industry and campaigning organisations to pressure government to implement an investment and industrial strategy integrated with wider economic and social policy to meet the scale of this challenge.

This must include:

i. a National Council for Recovery and regional development councils with trade unions central, ensuring workers’ interests are at the forefront and that resources reach every region

ii. transforming our economy to meet international climate obligations with investment in our manufacturing capability and sustainable infrastructure, including electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, construction materials and retrofitting all homes, carbon capture and storage, synthetic aviation fuels and the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon

iii. using the multi-billion public procurement budget to Build Local, Buy UK, to rebuild and re-shore supply chains and jobs

iv. ensuring bailouts reach further than the boardroom, using public ownership and government equity stakes with social obligations where public funds are used, including protecting jobs and pay and ambitious equalities and ‘just transition’ commitments

v. a target of full employment with quality job and pay guarantees for workers and new sector-wide skills councils.

Unite

AMENDMENT

  • Add to the end of sub-paragraph ii:
    “We must also build the infrastructure we need for a fully integrated and green public transport system to encourage people to return to public transport when it is safe to do so. We will not meet our climate obligations without more people and goods using our railways, waterways and buses.”

ASLEF