Congress notes on 18 August the wind turbine manufacture Vestas reported a 29 per cent revenue increase and full-year operating profit forecast of 11 to 13 per cent whilst also hiring 5,000 workers for new factories in China, the US and Spain.

Congress is appalled that despite this expansion just weeks earlier Vestas closed England’s only wind turbine factory, devastating the local economy and destroying skilled green jobs.

Congress applauds the Vestas workforce and their families who courageously fought to save their jobs, including occupying the factory. Their principled stand to defend their community and to fight climate change is a tribute to the finest traditions of our movement.

Congress congratulates the TUC, affiliates and green movement for supporting the campaign to keep the factory open and defend those workers who were sacked for occupying the factory.

Congress welcomes the high level summit hosted by Ed Miliband on 8 September to discuss the promotion of green jobs in the energy supply / manufacturing sector and notes the impetus of this was the Vestas closure.

Congress notes this forum will continue to meet and urges the General Council to campaign to ensure the UK’s ability to meet climate change targets and create green jobs through a balanced energy policy is not held to ransom by market forces but instead includes a strategy which:

i)        urgently explores the benefits of UK publicly owned wind turbine manufacturing capacity, including at the Vestas site

ii)      public procurement and accelerating the permitting process.

Mover:  National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
Seconder:  Unite

Congress notes with alarm the notification of redundancies in Newcastle, Northampton and Warwick, given to the joint unions (GMB, Unison and Unite) by National Grid on 4 September 2009.

Congress further notes the 24-hour strike which took place in Newcastle on 11 September, in defence of jobs at risk from the company’s review of its UK Shared Services operations.

Congress applauds the joint unions for organising resistance to these unjustified redundancies, and condemns National Grid for this act of corporate greed. Congress notes that the joint unions have already identified £3m in cost savings, and believes that the plan to make workers redundant and either outsource the work, or offshore it to a low-wage economy, is both socially irresponsible and financially unnecessary.

Congress recognises that National Grid performs monopoly activities in the UK and is set to benefit from Government investment in the UK energy infrastructure. It made over £2.9bn profit last year, whilst seven of its directors shared £9.47m in salary and bonuses, and shareholders are guaranteed a dividend growth of 8% pa until 2012.

Congress calls upon National Grid to withdraw the threat of redundancies and guarantee security of employment to the loyal employees who have contributed towards its success. Congress further calls upon the Government to intervene and remind National Grid of its social obligation to protect jobs during the recession, and for Ofgem to ensure that if these jobs are offshored that the company doesn’t benefit from any investment funded by the British energy consumer. 

Mover: GMB
Seconder: Unite

The Guardian newspaper on Monday 7 September reported on Sri-Lanka’s expulsion of a senior UN official who was critical of the Government-run “Welfare Camps”.

The concerns raised by James Elder, UNICEF head of communications, support those raised in a briefing issued on 10 August 2009, by Amnesty International, which drew attention to the state of emergency facing Sri Lankan civilians displaced, facing potential death and disease in the aftermath of a devastating civil war.

Amnesty have now launched a campaign demanding that the Government ‘Unlock the Camps’, where civilians are detained by troops regardless of the contravention of the ILO and international law.

There are 409,000 displaced civilians, with 60,000 children alone, effectively imprisoned in camps with no sanitation, shelter, insufficient food, water and visitation for families, all witnessed by the UN Secretary General who claimed these as “the most appalling scenes” he had witnessed.

Congress and affiliates must endeavour to support Amnesty’s campaign ‘Unlock the Camps’ to support freedoms for civilians by:

i)     campaigning for access to the camps by journalists, aid workers and politicians

ii)    raising awareness of the disappearances, abductions, arbitrary arrest and sexual violence taking place in the country

iii)   circulating Amnesty International’s ‘Unlock’ petition and campaign materials

iv)   working with sister organisations with similar goals to support democratic structures and processes in Sri Lanka

v)    providing financial assistance and support to civil society organisations working on behalf of vulnerable groups of people in Sri Lanka.

Mover:            Fire Brigades Union
Seconder:        National Union of Journalists

Congress notes that on 31 July 2009 the Government published proposals for cuts in the civil service compensation scheme (CSCS). The CSCS provides funding for redundancy and early retirement.

Congress notes that in the media the cuts have been presented as reform to end gold-plated pay-offs. In reality, the proposals threaten to strip hundreds of thousands of staff, including the low paid, of their current entitlements to compensation in the event of redundancy and make compulsory redundancy more likely.

Congress believes that the proposals represent a crude attempt to make job cuts on the cheap at a time when jobs are threatened by plans for massive public spending cuts as a solution to the national debt arising from the current financial crisis.

Congress further notes that staff become more ‘attractive’ targets for the private sector in terms of work being outsourced if terms and conditions are less expensive and that therefore the cuts to the CSCS would make further privatisation in the civil service more likely.

Congress notes the proposals have been unanimously rejected by the civil service trade unions.
Congress believes the proposals are a dangerous precedent and gives full support to the civil service trade unions in their efforts to defend members’ entitlements. Congress calls on the General Council to make clear this position to the Government and use its influence to seek a re-opening of negotiations.

Mover: Public and Commercial Services Union
Seconder: Prospect

Supporters: FDA, POA

Congress notes that the CWU is balloting its Royal Mail membership from 16 September on strike action. This decision follows the failure of management to negotiate a new agreement covering the wages, terms and conditions of the workforce in the modernisation of the industry.

Congress agrees to offer full support to the campaign of the CWU, and calls upon Royal Mail management to reach an agreement, which secures the modernisation of the industry by consent and negotiation.

Congress notes that the Government decided not to progress the Postal Services Bill when Parliament rose on 21 July.

Congress welcomes the withdrawal of the immediate threat to privatise the industry, as contained in that Bill. However, Congress notes that the other issues covered in the Bill – the pensions deficit and the regulation of the industry – remain pressing problems. Congress therefore calls upon the Government to prepare suitable legislation to ensure that the Government takes on its responsibility for the deficit, and that a more appropriate form of regulation is introduced.

Congress is concerned about the threats to customer services and employment in the UK finance industry arising from the crisis in world banking as manifested in the UK.

Congress notes the job losses announced in the finance sector and urges the Government to take action against unscrupulous employers who are using the credit crunch as an excuse to cut jobs.

Congress notes that the majority of employees in UK banks are women and that many work part time and are confined to the lowest grades. Congress calls on the General Council to support the demand that employers and HMG exercise their responsibilities to ensure that aggressive job reduction strategies are not pursued within the UK banking industry. Radical job cuts will have a negative impact on the economy as well as on service to the public.

Congress is deeply concerned at the impact the economic downturn will have on vulnerable women, including pregnant workers and single parents in temporary and agency work, particularly when reckless executives are still accepting huge bonuses and high salaries but not accepting responsibility. In addition, Congress is appalled that women workers will be denied the opportunities for education and training. This is due to the funding priorities and savage cuts in further and higher education which have a disproportionate effect upon this group in particular. Congress demands that this provision is restored.

Congress welcomes the Government’s measures to help families at risk of repossession and demands measures to protect the most vulnerable workers in society by providing decent homes, tackling child poverty and fuel poverty, improving equality at work, protecting jobs and ensuring access to secure employment.

Congress therefore calls on the Government to:

i) overhaul the finance sector and introduce tighter regulation

ii) build one million new affordable homes

iii) increase public spending in public services and end privatisation

iv) support manufacturing through procurement and investment

v) create a price commission for energy and a windfall tax on profits

vi) introduce a fair tax regime to address the poverty gap

vii) restore employment and collective rights for all workers.

(this motion is exempt from the 250-word limit)

Amendment (Not Accepted)

From:  Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers

Insert new paragraph 5:

‘The Women and Work Commission’s final report notes progress in closing the pay gap has stalled. Low and unequal pay contribute to women’s and children’s poverty. Congress welcomes the Child Poverty Bill which gives new impetus to the fight against child poverty.’

Add new sub-paragraph viii) at end:

‘viii) continue tackling child poverty as a priority.’

Congress notes that:

i) the people of Britain are experiencing the shock and awe of the turmoil in the financial markets and the banking sector, which has resulted in cuts in public spending, rising unemployment, wage cuts and home repossessions

ii) many in the financial sector continue to receive obscene pay, deny responsibility for the economic crisis and still extol the virtues of the free market

iii) many people suffer from the lack of heating while energy companies and suppliers show increases in profits and pay greater dividends to shareholders.

The challenge now for the Government is to steer the economy through the recession while protecting the most vulnerable and those least able to stand wage cuts and unemployment. It is sound economic sense to ensure greater disposable income for the poor, thereby creating demand to kick-start the economy, rather than relieving the rich of tax.

The biggest issue facing working people in Britain today is the carnage in social and economic terms of the recession. It is virtually certain that the employment/social impact will fall disproportionately on black people, especially young black people, for whom we have fought so hard over the years to ensure equality of opportunity.

Congress calls upon the General Council to lobby the Chancellor to continue to:

a) have greater regulation of the economy

b) increase public spending and accelerate the public works programmes

c) adopt measures to increase the pay of the poorest in Britain.

(this motion is exempt from the 250-word limit)

Congress notes that unemployment is predicted to increase to almost three million by 2010 and that disabled people are particularly at risk when unemployment rises.

Congress welcomes the announced increase in Access to Work funding but believes that even doubling the budget will prove inadequate to move one million people from incapacity benefits to employment. Congress believes that government proposals to abolish income support and compel disabled people, parents with young children and others to do work or training or lose benefits ignores the root causes of their circumstances and will disadvantage disabled people in particular. Congress opposes compulsion, and believes that voluntary entry to schemes is more effective.

Congress recognises that without measures aimed at tackling issues like discrimination and the lack of suitable childcare, government aims of increasing employment will be unachievable.

Congress resolves to:

i) continue its campaign against the privatisation of public services, including initiatives supporting disabled people into work

ii) support the TUC lobby of Parliament to protect Access to Work

iii) press the Government to restore entitlement to Independent Living Fund (ILF) funding to all disabled people

iv) support local and national campaigns to oppose attacks on services to disabled people.

Congress calls on the General Council to work with affiliates and other campaign groups to promote compassionate public service employment support and for welfare provision that:

a) provides a safety net including increased levels of benefit and entitlements

b) supports disability employment costs and the eradication of poverty

c) does not allow organisations to profit from the unemployed

d) provides fair, equal and publicly accountable treatment.

(this motion is exempt from the 250-word limit)

Congress recognises the important contribution that government procurement strategy can play in the maintenance of the UK manufacturing sector. Congress is concerned that in the present economic climate the Government has failed to recognise the opportunities which could be used to sustain UK jobs in manufacturing through the exploitation of the existing provisions within the EU Directives on public procurement.

Congress notes the initiatives taken by the Government to encourage public purchasers to address social concerns when awarding contracts, but believes that far more needs to be done. But Congress is concerned that public procurement officers have also been warned about including provisions such as the London living wage in tender documents. Congress further believes that more needs to be done to place UK companies on a level playing field when it comes to competing for public contracts. Since, in the case of government purchasing, it is taxpayers’ money that is being used, Congress urges the Government to use its purchasing power to achieve social and, in particular, employment objectives while at the same time securing value for money for the public purse.

To this end Congress calls upon the UK Government to:

i)        adopt a more flexible approach to the inclusion of social clauses in public procurement contracts

ii)      introduce positive guidance to public procurement officers to ensure that maximum benefit is derived by UK companies from UK government contracts.

Congress notes the financial aid given to bail out the financial sector. Congress demands the Government provide the same level of support to manufacturing to save jobs, revitalise the economy, build affordable housing and assist workers struggling to pay mortgages.

In pursuing these aims, Congress believes that the time and conditions are right to create one million Government employed “green jobs” working on renewable energy, sustainable public transport and energy efficient house building projects thereby tackling unemployment and taking positive action on climate change for the benefit of all people.

Mover:  Unite
Seconder:  Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union

Supporter:  Communication Workers’ Union