TUC Congress 2024: Unions demand ‘urgent action’ from government to deliver New Deal for Working People

Unions have demanded the government take “urgent action” to deliver on its promised package of workers’ and union rights.

At a meeting of the TUC Congress in Brighton, delegates backed a motion to “end the hostile environment towards workers and unions” and called on the new Labour government to deliver on the commitments promised in the New Deal for Working People, including repealing anti-union legislation, including the Trade Union Act 2016, outlawing zero-hours contracts, giving all workers full employment rights from day one and legislating a complete ban on fire and rehire.

The motion also states that, should Labour not legislate the package of workers’ rights within the first 100 days of their government, “a special TUC Congress will be called to discuss next steps”.

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Paddy Lillis, general secretary of USDAW, described the New Deal for Working People as “what we have been working towards for years” and welcomed the Labour government’s moves to repeal the Trade Union Act and minimum service legislation, which he described as “a particularly important moment for our movement”.

“This is the start of a historic opportunity for real change, change that will truly transform workers’ lives,” he said.

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Other speakers in favour of the motion included Heather Gilfillian of Unite, Steve Wright of the Fire Brigades Union, Simon Weller of Aslef, and Martin Cavanagh, president of the PCS, who said the New Deal of Working People would be the “first significant improvement in trade union employment rights since the 1970s”, but added “we cannot be complacent” and warned of those wanting to seek a watering-down of the new package of workers’ rights.

Cavanagh said any watering down of the New Deal for Working People would be an “abhorrent act” and said: “We have to hold this government to account and we will challenge them in the same way we challenge the Tories.”

Another motion, calling for the repeal of section 127 of the Criminal Justice Public Order Act, was also passed by delegates. The section restricts prison officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from taking industrial action and makes it a criminal offence to do so.

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