Labour needs a vision to inspire its roots

As the election approaches, Unison is continuing to work tirelessly in the marginals. For the past year we have been funding local organisers and winning support for Labour. Not for a party of business or a party of the middle, but for our Labour Party. We know of course that the party must stand up for the squeezed middle who have lost so much. But so have the roots of our party’s support – the millions who have borne the brunt of rece­ssion and are now bearing the brunt of recovery.

For Unison’s members in the public services the situation is stark. They are suffering a five year pay freeze. When inflation is taken into account their pay has fallen in value by over one fifth. At the same time insecurity is endemic, with the number of zero hours contracts trebling in a year.

Hard working people everywhere are having to make appalling choices about whether to buy food or keep warm – and how to avoid the clutches of pay day loan companies.

The coalition boasts that the economy is growing by over 3%, but claims there is no money for people who deliver our public services.

People who work in health and provide care in our communities, mainly low paid women, are justifiably angry that they are not feeling the benefits of the recovery. That’s why, while employers refuse to negotiate, Unison members continue to plan action next month across local government, schools and our NHS. And that is why they will be coming out onto the streets of London and Glasgow in the TUC demonstration on 18 October.

This is ordinary women and men, the roots of the Party’s support, standing up against austerity and the appalling injustice of and economic recovery that leaves them worse off than ever. And of course they expect our labour movement, our labour party, our leadership to support them.

At the Milton Keynes policy forum the Labour party did turn the corner. Genuine commitments were made. To support the living wage. To end the abuse of zero hours contracts. To respect pay review body awards. To repeal the health act. Committing labour to Nye Bevan’s NHS. This was real progress. And we will work together to achieve these things.

But we also need a labour vis­ion of how we are going to support the millions who have seen their pay fall. How women in work are going to be treated as equals. We need to know how our base, “our roots”, will cease to be the victims of globalisation. How we can stop the free trade talks destroying our public services and our collective agreements.

We need to know how we will stop the rich and powerful monopolising the fruits of recovery. Unison members are clear on our vision: workers across public services earning a decent wage, accountable, democratic local government, dignity for the elderly and the disadvantaged, a labour party restoring our roots, our soul.

It’s simple. It’s time to remember why we are here. What we stand for. Who we represent

Dave Prentis is the General Secretary of UNISON