CONGRESS 2014 GENERAL COUNCIL REPORT Published by Trades Union Congress Congress House Great Russell Street London WC1B 3LS www.tuc.org.uk August 2014 ISBN 978 1 85006 957 7 £10 01 General_Council_Report_2014_Covers_AW.indd 1-3 08/08/2014 15:17:28 Copyright © 2014 TUC ISBN 978 1 85006 957 7 Trades Union Congress Congress House Great Russell Street London WC1B 3LS www.tuc.org.uk 020 7636 4030 Designed by TUC Typesetting and production by www.design-mill.co.uk Printed by Newnorth For more copies of this publication, please contact TUC Publications on 020 7467 1294 or email [email protected] Bulk discounts may be offered. This Congress 2014 General Council Report may be made available for dyslexic or visually impaired readers, on request and at no extra cost, in an agreed electronic format or in accessible formats such as Braille, audio tape or large print. For more information, please contact TUC Publications as above. General_Council_Report_2014_Covers_AW.indd 4-6 08/08/2014 15:17:28 The 146th Annual Trades Union Congress 7–10 September 2014, Liverpool The TUC’s mission is to be a high-profile organisation that campaigns successfully for trade union aims and values, assists trade unions to increase membership and efectiveness, cuts out wasteful rivalry and promotes trade union solidarity. ) II CONTENTS TUC General Council Members 2013–2014 V SECTION FOUR RESPECT AND A VOICE AT WORK 43 General Secretary’s introduction VI 4.1 Introduction 44 4.2 Respect at work 44 AN OVERVIEW OF THE YEAR 01 4.3 Equalities 46 Jobs, growth and a new economy 02 4.4 Disabled workers 46 Fair pay and a living wage 03 4.5 Lesbian, gay, bisexual Good services and decent welfare 04 and trans workers 47 Respect and a voice at work 05 4.6 Women workers 48 Strong unions 06 4.7 Race equality 50 4.8 Young workers 51 SECTION ONE 4.9 Worker voice 52 JOBS, GROWTH AND 4.10 Health and safety 53 A NEW ECONOMY 07 4.11 Migration 56 4.12 Decent work and supply chains 57 1.1 Introduction 08 4.13 Social Europe 58 1.2 The economy 08 1.3 The labour market 10 1.4 Working time 12 SECTION FIVE 1.5 Housing 12 STRONG UNIONS 59 1.6 Energy 13 5.1 Introduction 60 1.7 The environment 14 5.2 Organising 60 1.8 Corporate governance and 5.3 Global solidarity 63 workers’ capital 15 5.4 TUC Education 67 1.9 Transport 16 5.5 Skills at work 74 1.10 Tax 17 5.6 Unionlearn 74 1.11 Industrial policy 18 5.7 Trades councils and unemployed 1.12 Procurement 19 workers centres 76 1.13 Global trade 19 1.14 International development 20 SECTION SIX 1.15 Learning and skills 21 TUC ADMINISTRATION 77 6.1 Introduction 78 SECTION TWO 6.2 Afliations and mergers 78 FAIR PAY AND A LIVING WAGE 23 6.3 Congress 78 2.1 Introduction 24 6.4 Congress awards 78 2.2 Campaigning for fair pay 25 6.5 General Council 78 2.3 The national minimum wage 27 6.6 Equality conferences 79 2.4 The living wage 28 6.7 Trades Councils Conference 81 2.5 New industrial wages councils 29 6.8 TUC/Warners Trade Union 2.6 Pensions 29 Communications Awards 81 2.7 Executive pay 31 6.9 TUC finances 82 6.10 Personnel and training 84 SECTION THREE 6.11 TUC Information Service 84 GOOD SERVICES AND 6.12 Website and new media 85 DECENT WELFARE 33 6.13 TUC Library Collections 85 3.1 Introduction 34 6.14 Congress Centre 86 3.2 Public services 34 3.3 Public sector pay and pensions 35 OBITUARIES 87 3.4 Health and social care 36 3.5 Education 38 APPENDICES 91 3.6 Local government 39 1 Attendances 92 3.7 Criminal justice 40 2 Committee membership 94 3.8 The Public Services Liaison Group 40 3 Accounts 100 3.9 Public Services Forum 41 4 Disputes between unions 113 3.10 Welfare 41 5 TUC rules and standing orders 115 Index and index of resolutions 128 III Mohammad Taj TUC Congress President 2014 IV TUC GENERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS 2013–14 Biographies of all GC members are available here Sheila Bearcroft Sally Hunt Roy Rickhuss GMB UCU Community (joined February 2014) Christine Blower Karen Jennings NUT UNISON Malcolm Sage GMB Mary Bousted Tony Kearns ATL CWU Eddie Saville HCSA Joanna Brown Chris Keates SCP NASUWT Mark Serwotka PCS Tony Burke Paul Kenny Unite GMB Eleanor Smith UNISON Jane Carolan Michael Leahy UNISON Community (left February 2014) John Smith MU Gail Cartmail Leslie Manasseh Unite Prospect Liz Snape UNISON Mike Clancy Sue Mather Prospect Community Michelle Stanistreet NUJ Brian Cookson Fern McCafrey NASUWT GMB Jane Stewart Unite Manuel Cortes Paul McCarthy TSSA GMB Pat Stuart Unite Bob Crow Len McCluskey RMT (passed away March 2014) Unite Niamh Sweeney ATL Tony Dale Sean McGovern USDAW Unite Mohammad Taj Unite Mark Dickinson Lesley Mercer Nautilus Int. CSP Chris Tansley UNISON Maria Exall Gloria Mills CWU UNISON Steve Turner Unite Sue Ferns Steve Murphy Prospect UCATT Simon Weller ASLEF Larry Flanagan Ged Nichols EIS Accord Fiona Wilson USDAW Steve Gillan Christine Payne POA Equity Tony Woodhouse Unite Janice Godrich Dave Penman PCS FDA Matt Wrack FBU John Hannett Peter Pinkney USDAW RMT (joined April 2014) Frances O'Grady TUC General Secretary Dave Harvey Tim Poil NUT NGSU Billy Hayes Dave Prentis CWU UNISON V INTRODUCTION FRANCES O’GRADY GENERAL SECRETARY “Our alternative They want to rob people of We are campaigning hard. Fair starts from building their rights at work, and impose Pay Fortnight saw the ‘Britain permanent pay cuts and job needs a pay rise’ message taken a new economy insecurity. They see extreme onto the streets and into the run in the interests inequality as a price worth mainstream media. In sectors as paying to preserve privilege diverse as rail, health, education of the many.” and power. At the roughest and justice we are uniting end of the labour market, workers with community users people face poverty pay and against privatisation and cuts. In just over seven months foodbanks. For those in the the country will be ofered middle, everything goes up bar Instead of blaming migrant a stark choice at a crucial, wages. Meanwhile greed at the workers and welfare claimants, potentially generation-defining, top is rewarded with a tax cut. we have developed practical general election. Never has policy solutions that give a strong voice for Britain’s Our alternative starts from people answers to the unions been more necessary. building a new economy run problems they face, from an in the interests of the many, intelligent industrial strategy Over a year ago the TUC set out not the top one per cent – an to council home building our campaign plan. It brought economy that would create and a fair rate for the job. together our priorities, which the good, skilled jobs that were endorsed by the whole pay well on which sustainable Smart political campaigning movement: action on jobs, growth can be built, and has helped delay and dilute growth and a new economy; that would give working attacks on union reps’ rights, fair pay and a living wage; people a real voice at work. check-of arrangements and great public services and a the government’s party political decent welfare safety net; new In my second year as general stunt, the Carr Review. rights and a voice at work; secretary I have travelled and strong unions. This report around the country, visiting We should celebrate our details the TUC’s work to fulfil workplaces, meeting union reps successes. The TUC and the mandate you gave us. and members, and pressing Britain’s unions remain this our case with politicians country’s strongest democratic The context facing working and employers. I have been membership movement, people, and in which we have inspired by trade unionists organising in workplaces been campaigning, has been and campaigners who have and communities across the tough – for some brutal. come together to make nations. Membership in the the case for social justice private sector has risen and Ever since the economic and economic change. the decline in the number of crash almost brought the workers covered by collective world’s economic system to its From BMW workers at Cowley bargaining halted. But there knees there has been a clear winning permanent contracts is plenty more work to do to choice. Those who did best for agency workers to the reach out to and build a new from deregulated capitalism, young workers fighting for the generation of trade unionists. which let inequality rip and living wage at the Ritzy cinema finance rule, want to go back in south London and picket to business as usual. For them lines of public service workers “Working people the crash was an opportunity on 10 July, working people have shown their to shrink the state by cutting have shown their determination services and slashing welfare. to secure a recovery that determination to delivers fair shares. secure a recovery that delivers fair shares.” VI TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady visits the Ritzy workers picket line in a BECTU dispute over the London living wage. Brixton, South London. © Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk VII INTRODUCTION FRANCES O’GRADY GENERAL SECRETARY Manufacturing matters: TUC General We have worked across the “The TUC and Secretary Frances O’Grady visits the political spectrum, engaging Mini factory in Cowley. Britain’s unions © Dave Fleming, BMW Group politicians from all mainstream parties on the cost of living remain this crisis and the policies needed country’s strongest for a greener, fairer and better balanced economy.