Food and Agriculture Sector
The T&G is the largest food union in the UK and Ireland representing workers throughout the food chain from agriculture through processing and brewing to catering and retailing.

Food safety problems such as BSE, Ecoli and Salmonella have an impact on our members. I strongly support a policy of producing good quality food based on the highest standards with a well paid permanent workforce.

Market pressures have relentlessly created a downward pressure on the wages of our members too frequently resulting in job losses. I will support our members in resisting these pressures based on the belief that good food and strong trade unionism belong together.

I will continue to support the struggle for justice for rural and agricultural workers and build upon the good work carried out by the RAAW trade group in defending the Agricultural Wages Board.

Manufacturing Sector
The idea that we can all live by the service sector alone is a cruel deception too glibly peddled by politicians of both major parties.

It is long overdue that the question of manufacturing got some serious government attention. Some of the problems are not hard to find - they are part of deep-seated weaknesses in British capitalism. These include a reluctance to invest, and an eye only for the short-term gain. Productivity and performance has inevitably suffered by comparison with other countries.

That has been worsened by aspects of economic globalisation - too many firms find it cheaper to move production to cheap-labour centres in the Far East and Eastern Europe rather than invest in the improvements needed to maintain production here at home.

There are several things we could do to slow down and stop the tidal wave of redundancies.

First, let's change our employment laws. At the moment, it is cheaper and easier to fire our workers - that must stop.

We should ask why President Bush can take action to protect the U.S. steel industry against imports, but we can't protect our own people. No-one with any sense wants a trade war, but carefully targeted protection for industries facing unfair competition, like textiles or steel, is an idea that should at least be considered. And we need government action to really encourage investment in new plant and technology to raise productivity. Government tax and economic aid policies should do more to reward the good investor and punish the bad.

Positive measures should include greater support for research, increased investment in skills training and enhanced powers for regional Development Authorities to promote long-term, job-creating investment in every region.

To date this government has paid too much attention to the short-term needs of big business for quick profits and too little to the longer-term interests of industry.

Service Sector
Public services are now centre-stage in a way not seen since the end of the second world war. Public servants have had enough.

That means no moves whatsoever towards a two-tier workforce. I am firmly opposed to the governments plans to privatise, contract out, call it what you will, our public services. And I am not prepared to see hard-working public sector employees, who have been treated as second- class citizens for too long, suffer further as a result.

Public services workers need no lectures from either ministers of fat cats on the need to make sacrifices, or to wait for 'jam tomorrow'. Justice delayed is justice denied, and we need to fight for pay justice now.

Unscrupulous employers are clearly looking to make killing from work in the NHS, education and local government - mainly be driving down wages and conditions, either for existing staff or for new starters. The T&G must and will resist this all down the line.

I will support our members in their drive for

I will continue to back our fight against privatisation from Naval Bases, MOD fire services through to our National health services. I will continue to work with colleagues to achieve our goals.

The key sectors of the Building and Construction Industry and the ACTS trade group need to be given more resources to heighten their profile and specific and sustained work is essential in the Voluntary Sector to create a formidable presence, able and ready to defend our members from any attempts to see them as 'cheap options' in delivering services to the community.

Transport Sector
Priorities for the Transport Sector

Privatisation, deregulation and commercialisation have worsened conditions of employment of workers in all transport industries over the past decade. The consequences for safe working environments have been disastrous. Effective enforcement of decent working time regulations across the sector must be a top priority, the Working Time Directive must be improved. Where contracting out and `flexible' working arrangements have been forced through, things must change. An offensive to boost pay, defend and extend pension schemes and strengthen trade union rights needs to be launched in each of the transport trade groups.

The agenda is clear and will have backing from the union right at the top: port workers want no part in further European liberalisation; civil aviation workers need Government support to enable their industry to continue to expand; road haulage employees need their industry cleaned up and modernised; and those in the passenger carrying industries want to see proper controls in the interests of people and not profit.