Momentum, the left-wing organisation in the Labour Party, is conducting its second annual policy primary, to determine which motions Momentum will encourage members to submit to CLPs for submission to Labour conference.
The Fire Brigades Union and North Essex Momentum have submitted the motion below, reaffirming previous conference policy calling for the repeal of all anti-union laws.
The motions for the policy primary can be found here. Momentum members can vote for their preferred motions electronically.
Advancing Workers’ Agenda by Repealing All Anti-Trade Union Laws
Decades of anti-trade union laws have interfered with unions’ ability to organise and caused mass redistribution of wealth from workers to the wealthy; years of cuts and a lack of investment in public services, and now they want workers to pay for the costs of the pandemic.
The pandemic has amplified the need for workers to be in unions to guarantee health and safety and working conditions. Job cuts, attacks on terms and conditions, “fire and rehire” and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill are all direct attacks on the labour movement and should be called out publicly, opposed and challenged by the Labour Party leadership and the entire movement.
Conference condemns the disgraceful treatment of refuse collection drivers by Labour representatives in Coventry. Conference commits to always supporting striking workers.
Conference notes TUC policy that workers be: “represented by an independent union; strike/take industrial action by a process, at a time, and for demands of their own choosing, including in solidarity with any other workers, and for broader social and political goals; and picket freely.”
Conference commits to repealing all anti-union laws and commits to their replacement with a code of labour rights using the proposals set out in Labour’s 2017 and 2019 Manifestos. This commitment includes repealing anti-strike laws, such as the ban on striking in solidarity with other workers or political issues; preventing workers from taking action directly over climate change, NHS and equalities.
Conference demands the Party actively enforce trade union membership amongst all Party members.
Submitted by Momentum North Essex and FBU
Word count: 250
Free Our Unions 