‘The next Labour government will build an economy that works for working people’

Below is the full text of the speech delivered by Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner to the TUC Congress in Liverpool this morning:

And it’s fantastic to be in Liverpool, the hometown of so many legends – the Beatles, the Albert Docks, and of course, Paul Nowak. I want to pay tribute to Paul in his first year as General Secretary. It’s been an uneventful one, hasn’t it?

From facing down the Tories’ vicious Minimum Service Levels Bill, to their insulting refusal to get around the table with public sector workers, to the economic crisis caused in Downing Street but paid for out of our pockets.

Throughout, you’ve been a powerful advocate for workers’ rights. Thank you.

I come here with one message today – that the next Labour Government will build an economy that works for working people with a New Deal for Working People. And Labour will start by bringing forward an Employment Rights Bill to legislate for this within the first 100 days of entering office.

That is a cast-iron commitment. Not only because this will be good for working people, and good for our wider economy, but because our fair work agenda will be key to how we bring opportunity every corner of this country.

Last week, Keir appointed me Shadow Deputy Prime Minister, Strategic Lead for Labour’s New Deal for Working People, and Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Almost as many jobs as I had before.

I’m delighted to be in this new post, because as a young, single mum, it was a Labour Government that levelled the playing field for me. When I most needed it, a council house gave me and my son a secure home instead of surfing sofas.

That in turn meant I could go out and find the job that I built a life upon. The minimum wage meant I earned more. A local authority job gave me better skills at work and joining a union changed my whole life. It was thanks to my union, UNISON, that I was able to improve life for myself and my fellow workers who I represented.

I may have been born in Stockport, but I was raised in the trade union movement.

A home, a unionised job, a thriving community empowered to create good local services and educational opportunities. These things were my lifeline – what Levelling Up could have been and could still be. Good jobs and secure homes are the foundations of thriving lives and of a strong economy.

True growth, which benefits all people in all places of Britain is built on the pillars of decent jobs and secure housing. They were the pillars I relied upon to get where I am today.  But the foundations I relied upon to improve my life and my community has instead been levelled down by the Tories.

With house building cratering and wages plummeting across the whole country, the government’s agenda is a sham – and a scam.

An empty slogan won’t pay decent wages, false promises won’t build secure homes, and a sound bite won’t empower local people and local communities to take control of their futures. Never has this been so important. Thirteen years of Tory failure has left our economy shattered.

People are on the brink, with a cycle of insecure work, poor pay and grave conditions. Recent scandals like P&O ferries show how bad bosses can undercut the market. This Government hasn’t just turned their backs on vulnerable workers but our entire economy.

Be in no doubt, Tory Ministers are the only workers that can get fired and rehired on better terms and conditions. Failing upwards, whilst everyone else is pushed down – including you.

For far too long, unions have had barriers put in the way of your work, damaging industrial relations and worsening disputes. The Tories pushed through the 2016 Trade Union Act, preventing fair bargaining and holding back living standards.

And this year they gave us The Minimum Service Levels Bill. A spiteful and bitter attack that threatens nurses with the sack.

We know going on strike is always a last resort, but it’s a fundamental freedom that must be respected. So let me tell you loud and clear, the next Labour Government will ask Parliament to repeal these anti-trade union laws within our first 100 days so that you can get on with your jobs of fighting for better for your members.

I make no apologies that we will work hand-in-hand with trade unions as we will work with business to deliver a real partnership based on mutual respect, cooperation, and negotiation.

Labour’s New Deal for Working People will transform ordinary working people’s lives. Work will finally pay, rights will be properly enforced, and crucially it will strengthen the role of trade unions in our society.

This is vital, because the New Deal wasn’t sent down on some tablet by politicians, it was developed in collaboration with you – the trade union movement – and it will be delivered with you.  Key to this, we will update trade union laws to make them fit for the twenty-first century, because for too long these have failed to keep pace with the hard reality on the ground.

Take the laws protecting reps and officials, which don’t account for technological advancements of the past 10 years, or how fragmented workplaces actually operate today.  Leaving you unprotected and exposed to harassment or the sack, not just hampering your ability to properly represent, negotiate for and fight for your members – but ruining lives and livelihoods.

The Consulting Association Scandal that blacklisted thousands of unionised workers must never be allowed to happen again. Which is why I’m delighted to announce today that the next Labour Government will act decisively and conclusively to stamp out blacklisting for once and for all.

First, we will update regulations to outlaw the use of predictive technologies for blacklisting and safeguard against singling out workers for mistreatment or the sack without any evidence of human interaction.

Second, we will act to end the loophole that allows employers to pass the dirty work down to third party contractors, so that any third party found to be carrying out blacklisting can legally be held to account.

Third, we will give Employment Tribunals the power to order the destruction of any list – digital or not – to stop lists from being hidden or used again.

Finally, we will ensure lessons are learnt from past historic injustices, so that these scandals can never happen again.

We support a full investigation into the violent events at Orgreave, and in Government we would launch a review into and release the official documents relating to the Cammell Laird prosecutions.

And that’s not all. We will give trade unions a new legal, reasonable right to access workplaces like your sister unions have in Australia, New Zealand, the Nordic states, and more.

This will be underpinned by a regulated legal framework. There will be clear responsibilities and rules for all sides to follow allowing you to meet, represent, recruit and organise members, so that you can get on with your jobs to build stronger, happier and more productive workplaces without threat or menace from rogue employers.

As we’ve seen with Amazon, a small minority of employers are taking advantage of the lack of regulations to frustrate the process. This is neither fair to workers nor productive for our wider economy, and it only frustrates disputes, making it harder to come to a resolution.

So we will also simplify the statutory recognition process to ensure that gig economy and remote workers can meaningfully organise through trade unions.

And we’ll level up the rules to allow trade unions to use secure and private electronic balloting when engaging, communicating with and polling their members, including for workplace ballots.

And that’s still not all.

We’ll boost collective bargaining both at the firm level and sectorally, starting with a Fair Pay Agreement in adult social care.  We will empower workers, the trade unions that represent them and employers in this sector to negotiate fair pay, terms and conditions – like training, in-staff benefits and more.

As a former social care worker, I cannot overstate the difference this will make, not only to these low-paid and far too often overlooked workers, but also to our entire health care system, weighed down by years of Tory neglect. 

We’ll also protect existing sector-wide deals like the fire and rescue services’ National Joint Council and support workers to meaningfully organise together to improve their terms and conditions.

This is because we agree with the OECD that collective bargaining isn’t just good for workers, but it can also be key to helping companies and their staff adapt to technological and societal change.

And there’s even more. Day one basic rights. A ban on zero hour contracts. An end to fire and rehire. Family friendly working. Strengthen sick pay, making it available to all workers, including the lowest earners, and from day one of sickness.

We’ll go faster and quicker to end the gender pay gap. Address unequal pay. Tackle sexual harassment at work. Put mental health on a par with physical health.

And we’ll bring in a proper living wage that people can actually live on. This isn’t only good for workers, it’s essential to growing the economy and raising living standards once more.

The State will take a more strategic and active role in our economy by fixing the UK’s broken labour market, giving businesses the confidence they need to invest in our infrastructure and people once more.

It’s how we will boost people’s pay, so that they have more money in their pockets to spend down their local highstreet.

And how we will turn the Tories’ failure on productivity on its head, because a healthier, happier and motivated workforce is good for the bottom line. Make no mistake, this agenda is good for workers, our economy and for business.

And so now for the important bit.The battle for the General Election is just getting started, and it’s not going to be easy. But this country cannot survive another five years of Tory rule. Ask yourself – what will we be left with?

There’s no doubt, Labour has to win. But to get this victory, we have to come together, stand together, and campaign side-by-side. And we need your help and backing to get the word out about our New Deal for Working People.

This is our platform to make Britain work for working people once again – that’s what is at stake. That’s what our shared future can be.

And so join me, to fight for it together. Thank you.