Delegates pass motions on public ownership, HS2 and AI in the workplace

Delegates at Labour conference have passed motions on public ownership of energy, delivering HS2 in full, defence policy, a just transition for the steel sector, the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace and creating a National Care Service.

Defence – composite motion one – passed on a show of hands. The motion, moved by Barrow and Furness CLP, saw conference agree that a future Labour government “must ensure Britain is properly equipped to take on the threats facing the country”.

The motion states that Labour’s support for NATO, the UK’s nuclear deterrent and armed forces “will remain absolute” and agrees that a Labour government “will seek new alliances and deepen others to strengthen our resilience to new threats”.

It also agrees that Labour will invest in the UK’s defence manufacturing base and states that a Labour government would ensure Britain takes an “active role in international efforts to secure strategic arms limitation and multilateral disarmament”.

Ukraine – composite motion two – also carried on a show of hands. This motion, put forward by Runnymede and Weybridge CLP, covered similar ground to composite motion one, with both motions seeing conference resolve that Labour must guarantee “continued long-term UK support for Ukraine”.

The Ukraine motion also calls on Labour to “work with its allies across the international community and hold Putin and his associates to account, including the dictatorship in Belarus”, including by “pushing for the creation of a special tribunal to hold Putin to account for the crime of aggression”.

Critical infrastructure – composite motion three – was also passed on a show of hands. The motion, moved by Unite, saw conference state its belief that “privatisation of our key national infrastructure has failed and has allowed rampant profiteering from energy firms”.

The motion also expressed concern that “privatised electricity and gas networks are an obstacle to any plan for a negotiated transition to green jobs and a greener economy”, as well as noting that Britain is a “two trillion plus economy that can well afford to take back our key infrastructure into public ownership”.

The motion saw conference agree that privatisation of energy specifically “has failed” and demand that UK energy be brought back into public ownership, starting with the National Grid’s electricity and gas networks.

The motion also saw conference reaffirm Labour’s commitment to: a publicly-owned railway; the delivery of infrastructure projects including HS2 in full in its original scope and Northern Powerhouse Rail; a rolling programme of electrification; and making sure freight is part of the ongoing conversation about rail.

The motion states that conference “stands in solidarity with workers taking industrial action, believes in fully staffed services that support communities and opposes cuts to staffing in essential industries”.

It saw conference commit to “investing fully” in railway infrastructure and the people who work on the railway, keeping ticket offices open and “delivering the publicly-owned, integrated and accessible transport network that Britain deserves”.

The motion also called on Labour to pledge, when in government, to retain (or reopen) fully staffed rail ticket offices.

Industrial strategy, education and skills – composite motion four – also passed on a show of hands and saw conference state its belief that a “new approach to industrial relations must accompany Labour’s industrial strategy”.

It states that decarbonising the steel industry is “one of the biggest challenges facing the industry” and one “we must get right and ensure we decarbonise in a just, fair way for the workforce”.

The motion – put forward by the GMB – calls on Labour to “further develop and implement its Inflation Reduction Act response in government”, “ensure unions have a voice in the setting of growth priorities and reform of skills curricula” and “fight for a just transition for all steelworkers”.

It also urges Labour to advocate for a combination of technology options to decarbonise the steel industry and set a strategic target of growing the manufacturing and engineering sectors as part of its wider industrial strategy.

Social care workforce – composite motion five – was passed by delegates on a show of hands. The motion, moved by UNISON, saw conference reaffirm its support for a National Care Service and resolve that Labour will put a National Care Service “at the centre of the election campaign”.

The motion states that Labour “must ensure all care providers demonstrate financial sustainability and responsible tax practices, value their staff, ensure all social care workers are paid fairly for what they do and deliver high quality care for service users”.

It also saw conference resolve that Labour must “work closely” with the unions representing the social care workforce to build a National Care Service that “rewards them for their work and ends poor pay and exploitation for good”.

Technology and AI in the workplace – composite motion six – also carried on a show of hands. The motion, put forward by Unite, called on Labour to develop a “comprehensive package of legislative, regulatory and workplace protections” to ensure that the “positive potential of technology is realised for all”.

The motion states that the package should include: protections of workers’ data, human characteristics, acquired knowledge and experience, as the intellectual property of the worker, as well as a legal right for all workers to have a human review of decisions made by AI systems that are unfair and discriminatory.

It said the package should also include amendments to GDPR and the Equality Act to “guard against discriminatory algorithms”, a programme of re-skilling and up-skilling existing workforces and support for the creation of new training and apprenticeship schemes reflecting changing job roles.

The motion saw conference resolve that the next Labour government should ensure that a legal duty on employers to consult trade unions on the introduction of “invasive automated or AI technologies in the workplace” is enshrined in law.

It also called on Labour to commit to working with trade unions to gain an understanding of the “unscrupulous” use of technology in the workplace and campaign against it.

Energy – composite motion seven and the last motion of the day – was also passed by delegates on a show of hands. The motion saw conference agree to support Labour to cut energy bills permanently by insulating millions of homes and moving to cheaper renewable energy generation

It backed Labour’s pledges to make Britain a “clean energy super power”, create over a million good quality jobs, create Great British Energy and a National Wealth Fund and introduce a “meaningful” windfall tax.

The motion also saw conference agree to support Labour to make the UK “energy secure” and fund further British research and development into “ground-breaking environmental solutions”.

Below is the full text of today’s motions:

Composite 1 – Defence

The first duty of any government is to keep Britain safe and protect our citizens.

In a world which is becoming increasingly unstable, a future Labour government must ensure Britain is properly equipped to take on the threats facing the country.

Labour’s support for NATO, our nuclear deterrent and our armed forces will remain absolute.

Labour will ensure our defence spending meets our NATO commitments.

Labour will invest in the UK’s defence manufacturing base.

Labour guarantees continued long-term UK support for Ukraine and will work with allies to provide the assistance it needs to defend itself.

A Labour government will seek new alliances and deepen others to strengthen our resilience to new threats including a new EU-UK security pact and developing the new AUKUS partnership.

Under a Labour government, Britain would take an active role in international efforts to secure strategic arms limitation and multilateral disarmament and reduce nuclear risk.

Mover: Barrow and Furness CLP
Seconder: Wallasey CLP

Composite 2 – Ukraine

Conference notes the continued suffering of the Ukrainian people following Putin’s brutal and illegal invasion last year.

The UN has condemned human rights violations in Ukraine following the invasion, in light of Russian aggression triggering ‘the most massive violations of human rights’ in the world today.

It is now clearer than ever that Putin must be defeated in Ukraine.

Conference recognises the Labour Party’s firm commitment to provide long-term support for Ukraine in its struggle to defend their territorial sovereignty in light of Russian aggression.

Conference resolves that:

• Labour’s support for NATO, our nuclear deterrent and our armed forces will remain absolute.
• Labour will ensure our defence spending meets our NATO commitments.
• Labour will invest in the UK’s defence manufacturing base.
• Labour guarantees continued long-term UK support for Ukraine and will work with allies to provide the assistance it needs to defend itself.
• A Labour government will seek new alliances and deepen others to strengthen our resilience to new threats including a new EU-UK security pact and developing the new AUKUS partnership.
• Under a Labour government, Britain would take an active role in international efforts to secure strategic arms limitation and multilateral disarmament and reduce nuclear risk.

Conference calls on the Labour Party to work with its allies across the international community and hold Putin and his associates to account, including the dictatorship in Belarus. This includes pushing for the creation of a special tribunal to hold Putin to account for the crime of aggression.

Mover: Runnymede and Weybridge CLP
Seconder: Mid Sussex CLP

Composite 3 – Critical infrastructure

Conference notes that the last 13 years of Conservative austerity have seen our critical infrastructure stripped back through underinvestment and a lack of forward planning. Conference believes that privatisation of our key national infrastructure has failed and has allowed rampant profiteering from energy firms, including giant energy corporations and National Grid.

Conference notes Unite’s research showing the energy sector made nearly £45bn in profits in 2022, which could have cut bills by £1,800 per household, instead of adding 4.2% to the level of inflation.

Conference notes that the French government used its ownership of EDF to reduce bills for households and businesses in France, which British EDF customers then effectively subsidised.

Conference notes the recent “excess” profits made by energy companies such as;

• British Gas’s owner Centrica’s £6.5bn operating profit in the first half of 2023, an increase of 691%.
• Shell and BP’s combined profits of almost £12bn in the first quarter of 2023 alone.

Conference is concerned that privatised electricity and gas networks are an obstacle to any plan for a negotiated transition to green jobs and a greener economy – delaying essential energy projects and putting profit before the public interest.

Conference notes that Britain is a two trillion plus economy that can well afford to take back our key infrastructure into public ownership. They would then be assets on our books which would mean that we all benefit from further public investment.

Conference agrees that;

• Privatisation of our energy has failed.

The Conservative government is presiding over a deliberate policy to run down Britain’s railways whilst at the same time undermining critical infrastructure. This is clear on our railways, where the fragmentation and privatisation of the industry has only worked to increase the damage done by the Tories.

This is most evident in the decision to close 974 ticket offices in England and one in Glasgow, making use of the rail network even harder for many groups – including disabled people and those with access needs.

Conference further notes that the announcement of ticket office closures is another attempt to remove jobs, damage safety and continue the managed decline of our railways.

These plans, pushed by ministers hiding behind the train companies, have drawn a record-breaking 700,000 responses in the public consultation phase.

Conference notes that an integrated, accessible and affordable public transport system is key to connecting our communities and protecting our planet. We need rail investment to reduce carbon emissions if we are to reach net zero.

Conference further notes:

Britain’s railways are a key strategic asset underpinning local, regional and national economies and a critical green mass transport system in the fight against climate change.

This is most evident in the planned High Speed 2 project which is set to provide many thousands of jobs and much needed extra rail capacity, while at the same time bringing Britain alongside other comparable countries which have long seen the benefits of high-speed rail.

Conference reaffirms the Labour Party’s commitment to:

• a publicly-owned railway
• the delivery of infrastructure projects including HS2 in full in its original scope and Northern Powerhouse Rail
• a rolling programme of electrification
• making sure freight is part of the ongoing conversation about rail

Conference also recognises the struggle of railway workers currently taking industrial action in the face of threatened job losses, ticket office closures, and falling pay.

Conference stands in solidarity with workers taking industrial action, believes in fully staffed services that support communities and opposes cuts to staffing in essential industries.

Conference therefore commits to investing fully in our railway infrastructure and the people who work on the railway, keeping ticket offices open, and delivering the publicly-owned, integrated and accessible transport network that Britain deserves.

Conference calls on Labour:

To reaffirm the pledge, given in the recent NPF document, that HS2 must be built in full – not only to Manchester but also the Eastern leg to Leeds – as part of a publicly-run rail network.

To pledge, when in government, to retain (or reopen) fully staffed rail ticket offices – a significant component of critical infrastructure – which ensure millions of people from all walks of life can travel safely, with confidence, and knowing that they had paid the best value fare.

Conference demands that;

• UK energy be brought back into public ownership, starting with the National Grid’s electricity and gas networks.

Mover: Unite
Seconder: ASLEF

Composite 4 – Industrial strategy, education and skills

Conference believes the UK’s recovery must be based on an industrial strategy that creates well-paid, unionised jobs.

Conference welcomes Labour’s commitment to deliver a long-term plan for green steel, including the £3bn investment through a National Wealth Fund, to achieve near zero emission steel production by 2035.

Conference further welcomes Labour’s vision for introducing and championing a genuine industrial strategy in government with business, workers and unions.

Following the passing of the Biden Inflation Reduction Act and the EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan, Conference condemns the Sunak government’s failure to respond, which puts energy and manufacturing investment and jobs at risk.

Further noting that Conservative ministers seek confrontation with union members, conference believes that a new approach to industrial relations must accompany Labour’s industrial strategy.

Conference believes decarbonising the steel industry is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry, but one we must get right and ensure we decarbonise in a just, fair way for the workforce.

Conference notes the recent announcement from the government and Tata Steel regarding the future of steelmaking in Port Talbot and believes an electric arc-only model is not the right strategy for the future of our steel industry.

Conference further notes that new technologies are emerging for the decarbonisation of the steel industry, and for workers to feel confident in facing the green transition, training and development opportunities must be created in Labour’s modern skills system.

Conference therefore welcomes Labour’s commitments to:

• Deliver a long-term plan for green steel, including the £3bn investment through a National Wealth Fund, to achieve near zero emission steel production by 2035.
• Create new industrial relations structures around the everyday economy covering mostly low-paid women through the School Support Staff Negotiating Body and the social care fair pay agreement.
• Establish Skills England and the Council for Economic Growth with union representation, and give workers a real voice in trade talks.
• Institute a right of union access to workplaces to organise and promote recognition through procurement as fundamental parts of the New Deal for Working People.

Conference calls on the Labour Party to:

• Further develop and implement its Inflation Reduction Act response in government.
• Ensure unions have a voice in the setting of growth priorities and reform of skills curricula.
• Fight for a just transition for all steelworkers and reject the government’s short-term sticking plaster approach to the steel sector that is being acted upon company by company.
• Advocate for a combination of technology options to decarbonise the steel industry, including but not limited to, electric arc furnaces, carbon capture, DRI technology and hydrogen-based steelmaking.
• Champion the significant £3bn steel commitment, which would be transformative in enabling the industry to decarbonise, with employers and in communities.

Set a strategic target of growing the manufacturing and engineering sectors as part of its wider industrial strategy to create a high-growth, high-investment, high-wage economy.

Mover: GMB
Seconder: Community

Composite 5 – Social care workforce

Conference welcomes Labour’s commitment to deliver a long-term plan for reform of social care which would prevent new contracts being given to care providers who do not meet high standards.

Conference reaffirms its support for a National Care Service based on needs, that is locally delivered, and where people are helped to stay in their homes for as long as possible and where disabled adults have choice and control over their support.

Conference believes success will be built on a workforce well prepared for the care needs of today and the future and welcomes the establishment of a national fair pay agreement in adult social care, empowering social care trade unions to negotiate fair pay, terms, conditions, staff benefits and training.

Labour must ensure all care providers demonstrate financial sustainability and responsible tax practices, value their staff, ensure all social care workers are paid fairly for what they do and deliver high quality care for service users.

Conference further believes that the creation of a National Care Service, based on these values will benefit every family in the country and will lead to a service that sits alongside the NHS as one of Labour’s finest achievements.

Conference therefore resolves that Labour will put a National Care Service at the centre of the election campaign.

Conference further resolves that Labour must work closely with the unions representing the social care workforce to build a National Care Service that rewards them for their work and ends poor pay and exploitation for good.

Mover: UNISON
Seconder: Doncaster Central CLP

Composite 6 – Technology and AI in the workplace

Conference notes the increasing pace and impact of automation, new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace including surveillance technologies has left many working people in stressful and precarious positions.

Conference further notes how these technologies can automate jobs, exacerbate workplace inequalities, increase workplace pressure and stress, drive down skills, violate basic human rights and accelerate rampant profiteering and wealth inequality. Analysts are already forecasting that AI could increase corporate profits by a further $4.4trn.

Surveillance technologies are already being used to exacerbate workplace inequalities, drive down conditions and create unsafe work environments. We have seen this across employers in our industries, where workers are being pressured by constant
surveillance to work harder and faster for less.

The introduction of automation and AI in the workplace and key infrastructure without proper regulation could have catastrophic consequences. There is a growing problem in the lack of knowledge and policy surrounding the development of technologies like AI, and the labour movement must improve our resources if we are to confront the inappropriate use of these technologies in the workplace.

The gap in workers’ rights in regards to technology must be addressed and an iron-clad legal right to wider consultation must be introduced.

Conference calls on the Labour Party to develop a comprehensive package of legislative, regulatory and workplace protections to ensure that when in government the positive potential of technology is realised for all including the fair distribution of productivity gains. This to include:

• protections of workers’ data, human characteristics, acquired knowledge and experience, as the intellectual property of the worker;
• a collective bargaining framework ensuring that such intellectual property is properly recognised, valued and compensated;
• a legal right for all workers to have a human review of decisions made by AI systems that are unfair and discriminatory so they can challenge decisions;
• amendments to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Equality Act to guard against discriminatory algorithms;
• a programme of re-skilling and up-skilling existing workforces;
• support for the creation of new training and apprenticeship schemes reflecting changing job roles.

Conference resolves:

• The next Labour government should ensure that a legal duty on employers to consult trade unions on the introduction of invasive automated or artificial intelligence technologies in the workplace is enshrined in law.
• Labour should commit to working with trade unions to gain an understanding of the unscrupulous use of technology in the workplace and campaign against it.

Mover: Unite
Seconder: CWU

Composite 7 – Energy

Conference notes:

• After 13 years of Conservative government in Westminster and the SNP in Holyrood, the United Kingdom has suffered the worst inflation among developed economies due to its exposure to fossil fuel prices.
• The reliance on oil and gas imports meant that fuel bills rocketed last winter, resulting in the cost-of-living crisis.
• The severity of the climate emergency with global temperature records regularly broken and extreme weather events devastating communities around the world.
• The urgent need to reduce demand for fossil fuels in order to limit the scale and impact of climate change;
• Under the last Labour government, energy bills were 30% cheaper, the UK had deployed the equivalent of three nuclear power stations in cheap onshore wind capacity, over one million homes were being insulated every year and the UK had reduced greenhouse gas emissions by nearly a quarter.
• The Conservative government is failing to act, exacerbating the situation.
• The climate change committee warns that the UK is missing targets on every front.
• Meeting climate targets must go hand in hand with protecting jobs in the energy sector and the skills and expertise of the workforce are key to a successful transition.

Conference supports the Labour Party to:

• Cut energy bills permanently by insulating millions of homes and moving to cheaper renewable energy generation.
• Make Britain a clean energy super power, with net-zero electricity by 2030, working in partnership with the private sector, improving regulation and reforming planning.
• Create over a million good quality jobs, protecting and rebuilding our industrial heartlands and coastal communities.
• Make the UK energy secure, by using our abundant natural resources to free ourselves from the manipulations of Vladimir Putin and petrostate tyrants.
• Lead the world by accelerating towards net zero and protecting our planet for future generations.
• Create Great British Energy, a publicly-owned energy company, and a National Wealth Fund, to ensure that everyone benefits from the wealth created through the transition.
• Fund further British research and development into ground-breaking environmental solutions, such as in green engineering and renewables.
• Introduce a meaningful windfall tax on the excess profits accruing to energy companies, to help ease the cost of living for working families.