Unite | The Labour Party Conference in Brief
"We must tighten belts, live within our means and fill the Tories’ ￡22 billion black hole." That was Sir Keir Starmer’s pitch to this year’s Labour Party Conference.
"No we don’t”, was the response for Unite general secretary Sharon Graham: “If money has to be raised, pensioners should be last in the queue, the super-rich first."
The conference agreed with Unite.
With the aftermath of the decision to cut the winter fuel allowance for pensioners, job losses at the hands of industrial underinvestment, and unsavoury employment practices still impacting everyday people, we say it's time to challenge the status quo.
Read our 5-minute roundup of The Labour Party Conference as we continue to say no to cuts, no to austerity, yes to wealth and fight for #JobsPayConditions.
Winter Fuel Allowance
On the final day of The Labour Party Conference 2024, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham moved the motion on winter fuel allowance, calling for the policy to cut the payment to be reversed. Despite an attempt to silence Unite by pushing back our motion to the 'graveyard slot', after a protest of pensioners and supporters in Liverpool, the non-binding vote on winter fuel cuts was won, signaling support for the Government to make a U-Turn and to make different decisions.
Addressing the conference, Sharon Graham said:
?"Friends, people simply do not understand, I do not understand, how our new Labour government can cut the winter fuel allowance for pensioners and leave the super-rich untouched.This is not what people voted for. It is the wrong decision and needs to be reversed.Friends, we are the sixth richest economy in the world. We have the money. Britain needs investment, not austerity mark two. We won't get any gold badge for shaving peanuts off our debt. These fiscal rules are self-imposed and the decision to keep them is hanging like a noose around our necks."
Join our campaign to defend the winter fuel payment:
Oil and Gas
The transition to renewable energy is approaching for a greener future. However, with over 30,000 jobs in the North Sea in the balance, the push for the Government to implement an industrial strategy that will sustain livelihoods for those working in the oil and gas industry is at a critical pivot point. At this week's conference, Cliff Bowen highlighted the need for better investment, which includes decent jobs for oil and gas workers in the transition to net zero after years of rampant profiteering from private energy firms.
Our motion also reframed the opportunity for the UK to nationalise the national grid, offering lower costs for consumers - now is a chance to create a fair deal for working people both in and out of the energy industry.
Join our campaign to protect the livelihoods of oil and gas workers #NoBanWithoutaPlan
Zero hours
Nearly two million workers live each day in limbo, not knowing whether they'll be able to make ends meet. Despite the sanitised image of 'flexibility' Zero hours, contracts are robbing many workers of stability, security, and fair conditions that are respective of decent work. With this type of employment disproportionately impacting women and BAEM workers, tackling zero-hours contracts is both an employment and equality issue.
In 2021, the TUC found most people on zero-hours contracts took them because it was the only work available.
With no guaranteed hours, workers are left without a consistent income. It also makes access to financial support and rental agreements challenging.
Unite member Jen highlighted the anxiety of not knowing whether she could make her rent from week to week.
"Some weeks you can be expected to work over 40 hours without adequate rest between shifts, with shifts being extended to meet business needs at short notice, but then when the business doesn't need you, you are expected to drop down to the bare minimum hours, regardless of whether this will cover your rent or not,"??
Unite women are calling for an all-out ban on zero-hours contracts, pressing the government to commit to an all-out ban on all zero-hour contracts, and putting forward a motion at Labour's Women's Conference.
Unite national women's officer Alison Spencer-Scragg hailed the motion and its passing: "Yes, some workers want more flexibility given the many challenges facing women in particular, but the idea that workers would choose this one-sided contract, putting all the power in the hands of an employer, is a myth."
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