As can be seen for the text of Composite 11, printed in full here, the resolution moved by Dave Ward of the CWU union, and seconded by Matt Wrack of the FBU, goes much further than the muted National Policy Forum report on workers’ rights. This resolution was passed unanimously by conference:
NEW DEAL FOR WORKING PEOPLE
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how grotesquely undervalued workers are in our society. Instead of learning lessons from this life-altering period, inequalities are growing and are being exacerbated by today’s world of work.
Business leaders used to be paid to build companies, create growth and secure employment. Now, profiteering is increasingly shaping our world of work, with short-term profits favoured over long-term investment.
The expansion of the gig economy has created a major barrier to improving pay, conditions and security for workers everywhere. Companies bogusly self-employ workers with no consequence, pushing down wages across entire sectors of the economy. These companies and their employment practices need to be fundamentally changed.
Outside the workplace, our society is literally crumbling and public services are beyond breaking point. Yet the wealthiest in our society escape fair taxation and profiteering has become the norm. It is clear that after thirteen years of Tory rule, the world of work is completely broken and workers need change immediately.
Conference commends Keir Starmer’s key role in developing A New Deal for Working People and welcomes the vital role Andy McDonald and Angela Rayner have played making it government-ready. Working with trade union affiliates, the New Deal will be immediately implemented in full when in government, to shift balance towards labour, away from capital.
Conference affirms there will be no regression from the New Deal.
Conference welcomes Labour’s commitment to repeal in full the Trade Union Act 2016, the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2022 and the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 (MSLs).
Conference agrees with TUC 2023 policy to build mass opposition to the MSLs laws, up to and including a strategy of non-compliance and non-cooperation to make them unworkable, including industrial action.
Congress resolves that the next Labour government should:
- Understand that the New Deal for Workers is an electoral advantage, not a disadvantage and implement it in its entirety when elected
- Expand their commitment to sectoral collective bargaining beyond one sector to tackle the imbalance of power in the workplace
- Commit properly to implementing a single status of worker and end bogus self-employment within the first term of a Labour Government
Labour in government will immediately implement A New Deal for Working People in full including:
- Widespread rollout across the economy of sectoral collective bargaining.
- Repeal of anti-trade union legislation including Trade Union Act 2016, the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.
- End ‘fire and rehire’ and ‘fire and replace’, replace the inadequate statutory code and reform the law to provide effective remedies against abuse.
- A fully resourced Single Enforcement Body.
- Increase Statutory Sick Pay and extend to self-employed.
- Simplify the process of union recognition and ensure reasonable access within workplaces.
