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TUC 2009: Monday
Highlights of the first day of the Trades Union Congress 2009 from ATL delegates Ralph Surman and Andy Brown
TUC Congress 2009 was opened by Sheila Bearcroft, president of the TUC.
The TUC general secretary Brendan Barber then welcomed delegates to Merseyside. He said the overall state of the economy and especially the growing number of people out of work had dominated the TUC's work programme for the year.
"It has been clear throughout this Congress year that the world is in the worst economic downturn since the great depression of the 1920s. This has taken us into uncharted territory, with economic decisions that were unimaginable even at the time of last year's congress. Almost one in five of young people are out of work," he said.
The TUC welcomed the interventions of government but called on the government to be as bold in heading off unemployment as it has been in resolving the banking crisis with policy designed with three objectives in mind: to prevent job loss; to get the unemployed back to work; and to prevent those in employment facing hardship.
Defending the NHS
Unison, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and the Society of Radiographers identified that the NHS may have to stop providing services directly to communities as a larger role emerges for social enterprises and companies - with staff jobs, pensions, terms and conditions coming under threat.
Unions want to make the case to the government for proper and full resourcing for any initiative to improve and develop service delivery, and campaign for better standards of care for all, while retaining the quality and effectiveness of healthcare.
On NHS waiting time targets, unions want the government to review the impact of waiting time targets on the quality of care to patients and the impact on staff workloads and staffing levels.
Equal rights
A debate followed on fighting the BNP and far right. UNISON, PCS, Napo, PFA, NASUWT, POA and the NUJ stated: "Unions remain alarmed at the rise of the far right across Europe, the election of British National Party (BNP) representatives to the European Parliament and an increase in their number of councilors. This represents a failure of all political parties to address underlying social and economic problems, which have been heightened by the recession."
Unions have played a crucial role in community campaigns against the BNP and in supporting migrant workers. The TUC should urgently assist all unions in updating their rule books in light of the Employment Act 2008 to enable them to exclude and expel the BNP and others of the far right, with an update to Congress in 2010, campaign against websites such as Redwatch and support measures that make BNP membership incompatible with regulated public service jobs such as police staff, teachers, doctors, nurses and other professions.
The collapse in the Labour Party's vote allowed the BNP to gain electoral success. Policies to combat rising unemployment, invest in public services, halt privatisation and promote equality are needed to counter the disillusionment which fuels support for the far right.
Quality pensions for all
GMB, Prospect and Accord built up a range of arguments to be supported by other unions including Connect, UNISON, PCS and the FBU. The NUT, FDA and AEP, spoke strongly in favour of public sector pensions.
Unions remain appalled at attempts by politicians, the media, employers and the pensions industry to undermine workers' savings. Millions of people are reliant on public sector pensions for their retirement income and now live in fear of their savings being decimated by a Tory government.
Unions recognise that the public, private sector defined benefit schemes are both sustainable and necessary, and that the closure of public sector schemes threatens quality schemes in the private sector that are already scarce as a result of continual attacks on members' deferred pay.
Unions want to see the General Council and Labour Party:
Mount a properly resourced, coordinated campaign to promote and defend good quality defined benefit pension schemes.
Show public sector schemes as a model of good practice to be replicated by employers, not to be cut to the minimum provision possible.
Publicly support the long-term sustainability of public services and public service pensions.
Explain the contribution to the economy made by funded schemes which invest billions in UK businesses.
Highlight the savings to the taxpayer from occupational pension saving and the cost generated by inadequate provision and increased reliance on state benefits.
Challenge the hypocrisy of the pensions industry and politicians seeking to force workers to work longer and save for their retirement but refusing to guarantee secure and reliable means of doing so.
Take the necessary steps to ensure that all workers on public service contracts can participate in public sector pension schemes.
Unions resolved:
To oppose cuts in public services and pensions.
Congress believes that panic measures to cut public spending would deepen a crisis caused by unrestrained free market policies.
Campaign to ensure public investment in high quality and fully funded public services is a manifesto priority at the next general election.
ATL motion on asbestos
In a stand-alone motion, ATL General Secretary Mary Bousted expressed grave and continuing concern that asbestos, the biggest and rising cause of workplace deaths, is a silent killer that remains in our schools and colleges.
Because of this, children who are particularly vulnerable, as well as teachers and support staff, are being sentenced to an early death and this will continue into the indefinite future unless much tougher action is taken.
The TUC's partnership with teaching unions campaigning for the removal of all asbestos in educational establishments was welcomed and Dr Bousted called for an assessment to be made of the risk to the occupants, a comprehensive audit of the extent, type and condition of asbestos in educational establishments and the standards of management. All asbestos in schools and colleges must be identified and removed in a phased programme to be completed by 2015, with asbestos in the most dangerous condition being removed first, she said.