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Resting on the foundation of strong industrial organisation,
the T&G needs to follow a practical and principled political
agenda.
The T&G has long been rightly proud of the part it plays
in political life. This is a potential source of strength
for each and every member of our union. The challenge is to
make that great political tradition work for the membership
today, in a changing political environment.
Our political influence must have a purpose. It is no good
sitting on committees of the great and the good for its own
sake. Politics must go hand-in-hand with our industrial agenda,
with two central objectives - delivering the things that cannot
be won in the workplace alone and need legislative change
or government action, and contributing to building a better
society in Britain and Ireland.
All our active members have a part to play in this. I will
put an end to the political influence of the T&G being
the preserve of an elite.
The issue of trade unions relationship to the Labour Party
and the government - two separate but obviously related questions
- has become very controversial of late. Let me make it very
clear where I stand on both questions.
I am in full support of maintaining and developing the T&G's
historic links with the Labour Party. Labour is, above all,
the product of the organised working-class movement of this
country.
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"Breaking the link is a right-wing agenda
with which I will have no truck"
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But neither am I a supporter of 'new
Labour'. It has been too concerned with doing favours
for business, too wedded to privatisation, too dismissive
of legitimate trade union concerns, to merit the unconditional
support every trade union would like to give a Labour Government.
"My priority
will
be members,
not Ministers" |
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If the interests of T&G members clash
with government policy, so be it. T&G members have a right
to be sure that their General Secretary is batting for them
without any conflict of interest.
I do not expect favours from government, nor to be in and
out of Downing Street. I do seek to ensure that the union's
voice is heard before decisions that affect our members are
taken.
There are plenty of those:
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Repealing anti-union
laws, and winning a charter of workers' rights, including
protection for workers from day one. |
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Halting the
corporate attack on pension provision and ensuring dignity
and decency for retired workers, including restoring the
link between the state pension and earnings. |
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Compulsory
pension payments from employers must be fought for. |
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Ensuring a properly
funded, publicly owned, integrated public transport system,
which recognises the importance of all modes. |
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Reminding Ministers
of the importance of manufacturing in economic policy,
and pressing for interest rates which reflect this. |
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Seeking tighter
laws to oppose racism (including a fairer deal for asylum
seekers) and to enshrine equality for women. |
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Boosting the
minimum wage to above £6 an hour with an end to
the lower youth rate. |
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Halting the
privatisation of health, education and local government
services. |
It is a packed agenda. As General Secretary,
I will ensure that the whole union gets behind it - from our
group of T&G MPs, to our members in the Scottish Parliament
and the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies, to our members
serving on local authorities and public bodies, to our activists
within constituency Labour Parties - we must all be pulling
in the same direction. If we do, I am sure we can get more
out of the political process than we do at the present.
I, however, will be content to exert influence as General
Secretary of the T&G. I will not accept seats on public
bodies and committees outside the labour movement unless specifically
directed to do so for a particular purpose by our General
Executive Council. Too often, such appointments provide a
major distraction from leading the union, without any commensurate
pay-off in terms of real gains for T&G members.
And I repeat the pledge I made when standing for Deputy General
Secretary - I will pay into the union's funds any monies I
receive for speeches, articles or any other work I do as a
result of being elected to this office.
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