TUC DIRECTORY 2018 MAKING DEMOCRACY HAPPEN• We are the UK’s leading independent provider of end-to-end ballot, election and voting services. We work with over 90% of unions and offer an unrivalled understanding of legislation in the sector. We can help you keep pace with change and maximise turnout with: • Ballots – statutory, consultative and • Compliance and best practice industrial action advice • Independent scrutineer • Assurer services Plus: • Results analysis • Data capture and processing • Digital engagement • Artwork and design • Online voting • Secure print and fulfilment • Membership profiling APPOINT THE EXPERTS 0208 365 8909 [email protected] www.electoralreform.co.uk Tu Directory Ad V5.indd 1 27/11/2017 11:43:40 CONTENTS SECTION 1 SECTION 4 About the TUC Trade unions Welcome 05 Union statistics 34 Who we are 06 TUC member unions 44 What we do 06 Confederations of unions 92 Our campaign priorities 07 How the TUC works 08 SECTION 5 Committee membership 10 Skills, education and training SECTION 2 TUC people Learning through unions 96 TUC Education 100 Policy staff at Congress House 16 Policy staff in Wales and SECTION 6 the English regions 22 International relations International affiliations 106 SECTION 3 TUC services ITUC regional organisations 108 ITUC global union federations 112 Services to unions 26 Organising Academy 26 SECTION 7 Leading Change 29 Calendar of events 116 TUC information service 29 TUC policy and information publications 29 Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum 30 TUC Library Collections 31 TUC archive 32 SECTION 1 ABOUT THE TUC Pages 03 and 05 © Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk WELCOME TO THE 2018 EDITION OF THE TUC DIRECTORY In 2018, we celebrate 150 years since the founding of the Trades Union Congress, in the Mechanics Institute in Manchester. Our founders resolved to set up the TUC “for the purpose of bringing the trades into closer alliance, and to take action in all parliamentary matters pertaining to the general interests of the working classes”. 150 years on, the world of work is unrecognisable – and trade unions have changed and evolved with it. In this directory you’ll find vital stats about our movement and our member unions. And, true to the mission of our founders to stand up for working people, you’ll find more information about the TUC’s campaigning and public policy priorities. I hope you find it useful. As we start our 150th anniversary year, we remember the debt we owe trade unionists of the past – and we resolve to bequeath to our successors a still stronger movement. The world of work may change, but trade unions will always be needed to balance the power of bosses. Frances O’Grady General secretary ABOUT 05 THE TUC OUR VISION The TUC is the voice of Britain at work. We exist to improve working life and promote equality for everyone. OUR MISSION The TUC brings together more than 5.5 million working people who belong to our 49 member unions. We support trade unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living. Every day, we campaign for more and better jobs, and a more equal, more prosperous country. Who we are › stand up for everyone who works for a living, by publishing The Trades Union Congress (TUC) research and evidence, and exists to make the working world a campaigning for changes better place for everyone. to the law and in society Working people joining together can advocate for collective bargaining, change things. For more than 150 › trade unionism and putting years, unions have fought for safer working people at the heart of workplaces and wages you can build our society, economy and politics a life on. And today we’re needed more than ever to make sure every › help union members get on in life, job is a decent job and everyone at through running and managing work is treated with respect. learning and skills programmes. Our values guide us in all our work. What we do We stand for equality, fairness and justice, and for dignity and respect The TUC’s job is to: for all working people. We believe › support trade unions to grow and in solidarity: that working people thrive, helping them represent can achieve more acting together their members and keep pace than they can do on their own. And with the changing world of work we are internationalists, acting with trade unionists around the world to promote working people’s interests. ABOUT 06 THE TUC Our campaign priorities behind an app or platform. It means real opportunities for progression Congress 2017 adopted a new at work, and safe workplaces campaign plan for the TUC, setting for everyone. It means genuine out three priority areas of work. equality at work for women, Black and minority ethnic workers, LGBT Priority 1: An economy that works workers and disabled workers. It for working people means an end to the artificial pay restrictions that have left dedicated The British economy is rigged public servants thousands of pounds against the interests of ordinary worse off in real terms. And it means working people – and a ‘no deal’ everyone having decent pay and a Brexit will only make that worse, decent pension for when they retire. risking good jobs and hard- won rights at work. We need an economy that works for working Priority 3: A thriving movement people – now, and into the future. that delivers for younger workers We need companies interested Young workers not joining unions in long-term, greener growth that is the biggest challenge our benefits everybody, not short-term movement faces. Just six per cent of shareholder returns. We need good 21–30s working in the private sector jobs in all regions and nations of are members of a union. Increasing the UK. And we need high-quality, numbers do not know what a union decently funded public services. is or how it could be of use to them. The union offer is not always Priority 2: Great jobs expressed in a way that feels for everyone relevant or accessible to young In 2017, too many workers are workers or insecure workers – not finding that great jobs that pay a least because the union movement decent wage are disappearing. We needs to launch its own digital have record employment rates, but revolution. We need unions to grow more than one in ten workers are in and thrive after the government‘s jobs where basic rights are denied or draconian Trade Union Act, getting ignored. We need no more and no more effective at delivering for less than great jobs for everyone. members and supporting our thousands of volunteer reps to That means an end to insecure work win a better deal for members in – like zero- and short-hours contracts their workplaces. and bogus self-employment – and an end to bad bosses hiding unacceptable employment practices ABOUT 07 THE TUC How the TUC works The General Council elects the TUC president. Their one-year term in Every September, the UK’s trade office starts at the close of Congress. unions meet together at Congress. The president chairs Congress, the Congress is where the movement General Council and the Executive decides its priorities for the coming Committee meetings, represents the year, and what the TUC should do TUC at national and international to achieve them. Each union sends events and supports and advises the delegates and raises issues for general secretary. discussion and debate. Each year, the TUC also runs Between Congresses, the General conferences for Black, disabled, Council oversees the TUC’s work LGBT+, women and young workers. and decides how to respond to These conferences and their elected events. The General Council is committees guide the General made up of representatives of Council and Congress in setting member unions, plus reserved seats policy on relevant equalities issues. for women, LGBT+ workers, Black and minority ethnic workers and Wales TUC’s conference and disabled workers. the Welsh General Council are responsible for deciding TUC Each year, the General Council policy on devolved matters and appoints a smaller executive overseeing TUC activity on issues committee from among its own that are the responsibility of the members. This group meets each Welsh government. month to implement policy, manage the TUC’s finances and deal with The TUC’s English regions each urgent business. have their own regional conference, to guide and advise the regional The TUC general secretary leads the secretary and their team in taking TUC’s work throughout the year. She forward the TUC’s priorities over the is supported by the deputy general coming year. secretary and a team of more than 100 staff working in London, the English regions, Wales, Scotland and Brussels. ABOUT 08 THE TUC We’ve been welcoming your TUC member conferences for well over 100 years ...and we’re looking forward to the next 100. #SOUTHPORTTIME TUC Library Collections, part of London Metropolitan University’s Special Collections. Venues for 6-1600 Contact us now for more information 0151 934 2436 [email protected] southportconferences.com GENERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS Membership for the year 2017–18 The body responsible for developing and implementing TUC policy and strategy between Congresses. It meets seven times a year and each day during Congress. Sheila Bearcroft MBE Tony Dale Philipa Harvey GMB Union of Shop, National Education Distributive and Allied Union Mary Bousted Workers National Education Sally Hunt (president) Union Craig Dawson University and College GMB Union Tony Burke Unite Neil Derrick Chris Keates GMB NASUWT Gail Cartmail Unite Mark Dickinson Vicky Knight Nautilus International University and