Unite delegates joined hundreds of others from across the trade union movement on the final day of TUC Congress 2023 in Liverpool. Below are some highlights from the last day in photos.
‘Privilege to serve’
Unite executive head of operations Gail Cartmail gave her final speech on Wednesday (September 13) to TUC Congress after retiring from the TUC general council. Addressing Congress on the last day of the conference, Gail called it a “privilege” to have served on the general council, and she thanked her “terrific union Unite”, including “all […]
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‘Retail banks are community services’
Speaking on behalf of Unite members in the finance and legal sector, Unite delegate Vanessa Williams gave an impassioned speech in support of a composite on financial services on the last day of Congress on Wednesday (September 13). She told Congress that the composite “outlines the impact of an industry which prioritises profiteering over communities […]
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War ‘never in interests of working people’
Speaking on a composite on the war in Ukraine, Unite executive head of operations Gail Cartmail gave an impassioned speech in which she said Unite “unreservedly condemns Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and stands in full solidarity with the millions who are victims of that attack”. Gail highlighted the UN General Secretary’s report on children and […]
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‘No hiding places’
‘No hiding places’
Unite Covid inquiry call
Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner spoke supporting a motion calling for a a public inquiry into Covid-19.
Welcoming the composite he said, “Unite was one of the unions that first called for a full and independent public inquiry and we continue to provide evidence to assist the TUC in coordinating our collective input.
“Like all of us we lost members to Covid … disproportionately from our Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities communities. In transport through retail to health and social care.
“Congress it’s no surprise after 13 years of austerity, cuts to public services, privatisation and deregulation … it was working class communities, those already struggling with poor health, too often relying on food banks and, living in housing that in many cases should have been condemned long ago that bore the brunt of the pandemic.”
He continued, “We’ve also highlighted that many sectors with the highest number of deaths have a history of both long and unsocial hours and asked that the inquiry investigate whether this made workers more susceptible to the disease.
“So we welcome the call to highlight the equalities impact of the pandemic. Congress, the motion calls for decision makers to be held to account.”
Steve went on to say, “While we can be rightly proud of our collective role in protecting millions with furlough, and our members who returned to work to manufacture the PPE and medical ventilators desperately needed on the front line.
“Government ministers who failed to prepare, went on to fail us at every level. Passing VIP lane contracts to mates who went on to bill us for millions from the bar of the pub they ran.
“While they were pissing it up in Downing Street, across the river loved ones were gasping their last breath.
“So we say let there be no hiding places, no escape routes or collective failure excuses. We demand that those responsible for gross negligence, corruption or a wider dereliction of public duty are identified, prosecuted and locked up. Denied their freedom just as they denied some 229,000 victims a full and healthy life.”
He concluded by adding a final call to Congress. “We pay tribute to the work and determination of Covid Bereaved Families to seek justice and we stand here in absolute solidarity with them.”
By Amanda Campbell
Pic by Mark Thomas
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AI in the workplace
Unite delegate Tommy Murphy gave a thought-provoking intervention in a discussion on artificial intelligence in the workplace at TUC Congress on Tuesday (September 12). Tommy said, “Workers in the print industry have long memories – and we remember the charging horses of the Wapping dispute where millionaires imposed automation by force.” He warned that new […]
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Windrush victims justice call
Unite delegate Susan Matthews gave a powerful speech in a debate on ending the government’s ‘hostile environment’ on Tuesday (September 12). Highlighting that this year marked the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush arriving in the UK, she said the fight for Windrush victims’ compensation continues. “We have all witnessed this government’s hostile environment […]
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Devolve workers’ law in Scotland
“Congress, we are living in what we hope will be the last years, or perhaps mere months, of Tory misrule.
“And how typical it is then that they are choosing to use the last of their allotted time to attack workers and their trade unions in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
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Steel industry ‘pushed closer to the brink’
Unite delegate Terry Mills seconded a motion on the steel industry and national security on the second day of TUC Congress on Monday (September 11). He called on the government to commit to our steel industry, through investment and procurement, which he called “long overdue”. “It is an indictment that when steelworkers are fighting for […]
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‘No-go zone for disabled people’
Unite delegate Martyn Gwyther gave an impassioned speech in defence of ticket offices as he seconded a motion on closures across England. He said government plans to close ticket offices “totally disregards legal duties under the Equality Act”. Martyn noted that a fifth of the entire population is disabled, citing the government’s own data which […]
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Climate change and jobs
“Congress, this motion raises important ideas about what our movement can do to meet the climate crisis head on.
“But the reality is we must start by recognising a green future will not be won on the conference floor, but on the shop floor.
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‘Position of strength’
He said, “As we meet here the bus industry is in the second year of a nationwide strike wave. Over 40,000 bus workers have been involved in over 150 disputes in every corner of the UK.
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‘The time to be bold’
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham moved a motion on public ownership of energy at the TUC Congress on Monday (September 11). Opening her speech to vast applause, she thanked “many of you taking action for the very first time. We stand with you – victory to the strikers – solidarity”. She then paid tribute to […]
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Not an optional extra
“This motion from Women’s Conference sets out concrete steps that should be taken when this motion is passed in tackling sexual harassment in our movement and in our workplaces to make us better and more effective at tackling sexual harassment in society
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Equality reps ‘must have full legal protection’
Moving a motion on equal work, voice and pay, Unite delegate Angela Duerden highlighted the vital role of equality reps on Monday (September 11) at TUC Congress. “The need for equality reps in preventing discrimination and advocating on behalf vulnerable people has only grown stronger in the past 13 years of Conservative rule,” she told […]
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Measure for measure
Unite regional secretary Sarah Carpenter, seconded a motion on the government’s measures to increase medical students on behalf of Unite.
Addressing the conference she said, “As our health service buckles in the face of chronic overwork, burnout and the crisis of staffing levels, Doctors in Unite will of course welcome commitments to double medical school places.
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‘Excessive work and dwindling support’
Unite delegate Alan Dobbie spoke in support of a composite on working hours and burnout on the second day of TUC Congress on Monday (September 11). Alan, a health worker, highlighted how he had begun work at the North Middlesex Hospital 26 years ago, and how as a frontline equalities rep, he’s seen the impact […]
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TUC 2023: Unite out and about
Unite delegates were out in full force on the first day of the 155th TUC Congress in Liverpool on Sunday (September 10). You can view highlights from the day in the photos below.
Stay tuned on UniteLive for all the latest TUC Congress 2023 news.
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‘Path to pay justice’
Unite delegate David Agbley spoke in support of a composite on pay review bodies at TUC Congress on Sunday (September 10). David told Congress that “over the last 12 months the mask has slipped and the failure of pay review bodies has been exposed”. He highlighted “the fallacy that public sector pay can be depoliticised […]
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Labour is becoming a Nineties tribute act
In 1997 Labour came to power during what many described as an economic boom. Without having to do much except keep their hands firmly on the tiller, the cash available to the exchequer grew.
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