Socialist Party reporters
The Labour government’s attacks on pensioners, disabled people, and other sections of the working class, the continuing deterioration of public services and creeping privatisation of the NHS, and Starmer’s policy on Gaza all faced sharp rebuke at the 2025 Trades Councils Conference on 24–25 May. A Birmingham bin striker guest speaker at the conference described the appalling behaviour of the Labour-run council towards the refuse workers, attempting to slash £8,000 from their pay.
The Socialist Party had eight delegates from trades councils (which bring together trade unions at a local level) across England and Wales at the meeting and had a strong influence on proceedings.
Needs budgets
Our call for emergency needs budgets to be adopted by local councils, in solidarity with local unions, instead of Labour councils passing on endless cuts, won overwhelming support.
Maggie Fricker, from Southampton Trades Council (TC), got a strong response when she called for public ownership under democratic workers’ control and management of the big energy companies.
An emergency motion on disability benefits cuts, including to PIP, was moved by Socialist Party member Katrine Williams on behalf of Cardiff TC. Katrine called for the TUC (Trades Union Congress, which brings unions together nationally) to organise a demonstration against the cuts. The text was chosen by conference as the one motion it can bring to TUC conference.
Other Socialist Party members also moved motions overwhelmingly supported by the conference. Jane Nellist from Coventry TC spoke on the Birmingham bin workers’ strike, condemning the Labour council and calling for trades councils to build support for the refuse workers.
Niall Mulholland, from Newham TC, moved an emergency motion on Gaza. The TUC’s words condemning Israel are not enough, Niall said. The whole union movement needs to be mobilised against the genocidal policies of the Israeli state, including supporting workers in the arms industry taking action to stop supplies going to the IDF.
Fighting racism and the right
Combating racism and the right in Britain was a key feature of the conference. Socialist Party members agreed with other delegates that it is correct not to be dismissive of people who vote for Reform – a sign of desperation in times of austerity and broken local services, and also a protest at the main pro-capitalist parties. But pandering to divisive anti-immigrant rhetoric, as Starmer has done, also needs to be countered.
Sheila Caffrey from Bristol TC called for disciplined trade union stewarding of anti-far-right counter- protests and the promotion of class politics.
Brent Kennedy from Carlisle TC linked all campaigns for improving workers’ living standards to the struggle to build a mass workers’ party with socialist policies.
Repeal turnout thresholds
Waltham Forest TC’s motion on the severe limits of the Labour government’s Employment Rights Bill was moved by Socialist Party member Kevin Parslow. The motion, which was endorsed by the conference, called for a TUC national campaign around a ‘workers’ manifesto’.
The discussion on building trades councils focused on getting more young workers involved. Where trades councils have a high profile as campaigning bodies and giving practical solidarity to workers in dispute, such as in Newham, this has already happened. Amy Sage, a young delegate from Bristol TC, who spoke on the right to protest and advocated democratic community control of policing, and Sjaan Heemskerk, from Southend TC, who spoke with passion on employment rights, are examples of the young workers getting active.
With a wider attendance of delegates at conference in comparison to recent years and twice as many motions this year compared to last year, trades union councils are in a good position to be the focus of organised workers’ and community resistance.
