The trade union movement spoke with one voice and demanded an election now

The trade union movement spoke with one voice last night in demanding a general election – now. Addressing the TUC’s Demand Better rally, outgoing TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady declared: “We will fight as hard for our class as the Tories fight for theirs.” Newly elected TUC president Maria Exall echoed her words, telling attendees: “We need a government for the working class. We need a general election now.” In a night of powerful speeches, NASUWT general secretary Patrick Roach stood out for his pure emotion. Roach – whose union is currently balloting its members on strike action over pay – spoke directly to the government: “Invest in kids’ education, pay teachers a fair wage, or shut up, ship out and call a general election.”

The ongoing industrial action across the country was unsurprisingly a focus of the evening. GMB general secretary Gary Smith argued that the current wave of strikes should be just the beginning, saying: “We have a thousand fires lit across this country, and we need a thousand more.” Royal College of Midwives general secretary Gill Walton told attendees that her union would be balloting members on strike action later this month – only the second time in the RCM’s 140-year history. “Midwives tonight are standing with teachers, our health colleagues, with posties and train drivers, with public and private sector workers,” Walton said. “Your struggle is our struggle. Your fight is our fight. We can do this together, and we will win.”

Though much criticism was levelled at the government (University and College Union general secretary Jo Grady possibly had the choicest selection of adjectives, denouncing the Tories as “disgusting, malevolent and unfit for office”), some trade union leaders directed comments towards the Labour Party. FBU general secretary Matt Wrack called on people to “stand together on every picket line”, adding: “And yes, that goes for Labour MPs as well.” RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said MPs “no matter which party they’re in” have got to listen to workers. “Are you on the side of the workers in 2022 and 2023? That is how history is going to judge you… Were you with us or were you against us or were you trying to sit on the sideline?”

Incoming TUC general secretary Paul Nowak – who will officially succeed O’Grady in January – closed the event with a call to action. “It’s not enough to be angry,” he told attendees. “We have to do something about it.” He declared that the best thing to do was to build a “bigger, stronger, more diverse trade union movement”. The existing strength of the movement was plain to see at yesterday’s event. Trade union leaders put on a united front both in their calls for a general election and in their dedication to strike action within their individual sectors and across the wider movement. O’Grady put it best: “To every worker on strike against pay cuts, we stand together.”

On LabourList this morning, we have a piece from Labour’s national campaign coordinator Shabana Mahmood on the importance of the efforts of grassroots members. She argues that Labour “cannot afford to be complacent” despite the party’s lead in the polls, emphasising: “We won’t win without a lot of hard work.” Discussing Labour’s national campaign weekend last week, Mahmood writes: “Every volunteer, every leaflet, every conversation brings us closer to Downing Street.”