Recovery? What recovery?

In the first speech of the conference, Unite AGS Gail Cartmail moved a motion on productivity and investment – calling for “good work in a fairer and stronger economy.”

She said that despite the talk of economic recovery, which helped the Tories back to victory this year, there were many respects in which that premise is false.

“One of the most important is our economic productivity. There has been no recovery there.”

She reported that productivity is scarcely any better than it was in 2007. And in the context of the world economy that is a disastrous failure for Britain. In fact this lack of productivity growth is unprecedented since World War Two.

The only alternative is to high levels of productivity output growth through debt – not a promising path.

But the government does not appear to be listening. Unite wrote to the chancellor in advance of its ‘productivity plan’ this summer.

“We told him, we know that the future employment of our members depends on successful and productive companies and public services. We told him –some of Britain’s best-performing sectors include car manufacturing, aerospace and others – all have high levels of union density – crucially where trade union involvement has been central to survival during the recession and to improved output and quality.

Forgotten contributors

“So when the government praises the success of the UK motor industry, it should not forget that it is Unite representatives who have helped make it so.”

Gail went on to discuss the devastating impact of austerity on productivity and future growth.

She said the government needed to “fix the banking system to ensure investment in the real economy, reform corporate governance to end the short-termism that inhibits investment, and use public procurement to boost manufacturing and create decent jobs and quality apprenticeships.”

This together with “a strategy to promote a low-carbon world and secure energy that creates high quality climate jobs and ensures workers are treated decently,” was why “the TUC and Unite stand for a balanced energy policy that includes investment in renewables. But tragically, this government thinks differently.

“For ministers the language of ‘improving productivity’ is used as cover for slashing jobs

promoting insecure employment or ‘sweat-shop’ working conditions.

“Their strategy is attacking trade unions rather than recognising how important they are to meeting the productivity challenge.”

Gail concluded that growth would never be secured by squeezing ‘more for less’ out of workers – it would happen through investment and an active government policy.