Policies for working people

Unite political director Jennie Formby spoke today (September 28) at the Labour Party conference about the Work and Business Policy Commission annual report.

Jennie spoke as Labour Party NEC member chairing the work and business section of the agenda.

The Commission and Party members worked hard over the last year to produce the policy in Labour’s Manifesto.

“The policy would have made a huge difference to working people,” said Jennie.

The policy would have banned zero hours and bogus self-employment, made it a criminal offence to exploit migrant workers, outlawed blacklisting, abolished tribunal fees, given real equality to agency workers, increased the minimum wage, extended the living wage and much more.

“It was a huge disappointment to find ourselves with five more years of a Tory government,” said Jennie.

“A government that is hell bent on attacking trade unions and cares more about the financial and service sector than it does about our manufacturing base,” she added.

Jennie went on to urge comrades to support the Teesside Save our Steel campaign.

“This government is hollowing out our state and ‘betting the house’ on China, shamefully turning their backs on our steel industry,” she said.

Jennie spoke about the trade union Bill and the attack on workers’ rights.

“The trade union Bill is the most significant, sustained and partisan attack on the trade union movement in a generation,” she said.

“It isn’t just an isolated attack on trade unions and the Labour Party. It’s part of a much wider attempt to stifle, dissent and undermine democracy,” she added.

Cameron claims that the Tories are the real party of working people.

“The truth is that we’re more divided, more polarised and more unequal than ever before,” said Jennie.

Jennie welcomed Jeremy Corbyn as ‘a breath of fresh air’.

“He is a leader who is proud of his union membership and the Party’s links with trade unions,” she said.

“He sees us as central in improving the lives of millions of workers and their families and as positive contributors to the economy — not the enemy within,” she added.

Jeremy Corbyn is committed not just to repealing anti-union legislation but has made it clear he wants to work with the Party to develop a whole platform of positive rights.

“Jeremy has said he wants rights for workers to join trade unions, and for unions to organise those workers,” said Jennie.

“Rights that give greater protection at work and a strengthened role for collective bargaining,” she added.

Thatcher said there was no alternative to the Tories and Cameron and Osborne are following in her footsteps.

“But of course there’s an alternative to the Tories’ unequal society,” said Jennie.

“There is an alternative to attacks on ordinary working people, on families and on communities. That alternative is based on decency and fairness and equality,” she added.

Jennie went on to say that with Jeremy Corbyn as our leader and Tom Watson as deputy, Labour can give hope to millions that a better future is possible.

“So whatever the difficulties we face over the coming months, I relish the challenge before us to build policies to underpin that hope within a reinvigorated and more inclusive policy process,” she said.