Paula Mitchell, Socialist Party executive committee
The conference of the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) on 22 June was no routine affair. It took place just twelve days before what is expected to be a historic defeat for the oldest capitalist party in the world in the general election.
The conference was preparation for what a Starmer-led Labour government will mean for the working class. Speakers were invited from the Labour Party, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), Green Party, Workers’ Party, Communist Party, and also Jeremy Corbyn. TUSC and the Greens sent speakers, enabling a real discussion about how a workers’ voice can be built politically as well as industrially.
NSSN conference has always been a platform for national and local disputes, to build solidarity and assist in working out what needs to be done. This year was no exception, with contributors from many key strikes. And of course those two things are not separate – many of those disputes, most notably the junior doctors and Tata Steel, themselves put immediate demands on an incoming Starmer-led Labour government.
A workers’ manifesto
As NSSN chair Rob Williams explained when he opened up: “Why is it that junior doctors are taking action now? To put demands on what is likely to be a Labour government.
“The Tories’ impending defeat is a victory for trade unionists. It’s a decisive answer to the pessimists in 2019 who predicted years of right-wing Tory ascendency. Workers reacted to that Tory victory with a historic strike wave.”
Rob cautioned: “We will celebrate but also we have a responsibility. We cannot ignore where Starmer’s programme starts from. As Rachel Reeves said, it’s the ‘natural party of employers’.”
The NSSN steering committee proposed a list of demands to form a workers’ manifesto (see opposite). Rob proposed, and conference agreed, to add a demand for emergency council funding. Speaking from the floor, Gary Freeman, delegate from Nottinghamshire, Mansfield and Nottingham TUC, took up this demand, highlighting the horrific cuts in Nottingham, intensified under the ‘Section 114’ notice.
Regarding two of the most high-profile issues Starmer will face immediately, Rob said: “We call for Starmer to intervene – to nationalise steel, to nationalise Royal Mail. Don’t allow the parasites to make more money at the expense of workers.” Rob also argued that we cannot ignore Labour’s position on Gaza.
As junior doctors prepare for national strike action in the run-up to election day, a message was read out from a Liverpool junior doctor: “The health service has been undermined by an unprecedented decade of underfunding. The Tory government won’t appropriately pay us. Now we have to ask Keir Starmer – what will your government do?”
Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab brought solidarity greetings from general secretary Sharon Graham. Kaz reported on the inspiring wins of Unite members since August 2021: £430 million won in increased wages; 1,250 disputes, with over 200,000 workers taking action, over 80% of them wins. Kaz said: “Our union is the only affiliated union that refused to back the Labour manifesto – as Sharon described it, ‘more holes than Swiss cheese’.”
President of the BFAWU bakers’ union, Ian Hodson, lambasted Labour’s manifesto. He explained some of the demands in the ‘Bakers Dozen’ manifesto, including £15-an-hour minimum wage and workers’ rights from day one. The bakers’ union disaffiliated from Labour in 2021. Pointing to the risk of the far-right, Ian said on 5 July we have to “come together”.
Probation officers’ union Napo general secretary Ian Lawrence sent a message of support, brought by national official Annoesjka Valent. Annoesjka explained Napo’s demands, which include emergency funding for probation and family courts, due to the extreme workloads.
Unfortunately, the official speaker from rail union RMT, Jared Wood, was unable to attend due to personal reasons, but RMT members John and Ted spoke from the floor arguing for the need for rail to be nationalised immediately not as franchises expire, and for freight to be nationalised too. They pointed out that it was a serious plan of strike action that had enabled RMT members on London Underground to win an extra £30 million from London Labour mayor Sadiq Khan.
Tata Steel
Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab highlighted the importance of the struggle against Tata Steel, saying: “This is what happens when a foundation industry is run by a private multinational company”. He announced that Unite members will be starting indefinite strike action on 8 July.
Tata Steel Unite rep Jason Wyatt spoke to a standing ovation. When he started in the industry 25 years ago it was seen as a job for life – but after years of cuts and closures, “we’re standing on a precipice”. He highlighted the catalogue of examples of communities left in destitution following the destruction of heavy industry.
Jason detailed how in response to appeals from the bosses to help save the plant, the workers had given up pay, bonuses, and pensions worth more than £2 billion. And now they’re asked to pay with their jobs and their kids’ jobs. Yet in 2022-23 Tata Steel had reserves of £1.6 billion and paid out dividends to shareholders of £1.4 billion!
Alec Thraves, a delegate from Swansea trades council, argued from the floor that the only serious solution to avoid devastation is nationalisation of Tata.
Unions need to fight
Speaking in a personal capacity, newly elected vice president of Public and Commercial Services union PCS, Dave Semple, outlined the three battles faced by members: against the government, for a union leadership that is up to the challenges ahead, and for independent working-class political representation. He highlighted the role PCS played in 2011, leading the way in the fight against austerity, as an example of what role a fighting union could play now. He posed the question: “If the Labour Party doesn’t speak for us – who will?” That debate must be held throughout the union: “we need an independent political voice”.
Also speaking in a personal capacity, Unison National Executive Council (NEC) member April Ashley spoke from the floor, hot from the debates at Unison conference – where the right-wing leadership blocked discussion about what’s needed to fight council cuts. But even Starmer-supporting general secretary Christina McAnea, who just calls for everyone to vote Labour, had to admit that most members don’t trust Starmer. She might want a ‘honeymoon’ for Starmer, but especially on local government pay, April said, “we want to fight”.
Unison rep Eve Miller made the point regarding NHS workers: “The Labour government won’t do anything for us unless we put our demands forward clearly and back it up with action.”
Recently elected University and College Union NEC member Duncan Moore argued (in a personal capacity): “We can’t wait for Starmer. We’ll negotiate – but we need a strike ballot in our back pocket”. Communication Workers Union CWU member Jordan argued that the leadership must not backtrack on the demand for nationalisation of Royal Mail.
The fight for a workers’ political voice
Former Labour MP, national chair of TUSC, and candidate for Coventry East, Dave Nellist argued: “The general election takes us into a new situation”.
Dave asked: “How will unions deal with a Labour government with a three-figure majority, that prioritises the views of business, and is funded by billionaires? Campaigns and pressure outside parliament are key but it’s going to need a political wing – like the ‘parliamentary wing’ of the anti-poll tax movement in the 1980s.”
Dave said: “It would have been better if that political wing had developed before we got to the election. TUSC has consistently argued that trade unions should call a conference to discuss a workers’ agenda and take necessary steps to establish a political alternative. Like Bob Crow did with two conferences in 2009, which brought together trade union and socialist activists from within and outside the Labour Party under the authority of a respected left trade union leader. That led to a workers’ challenge in the euro elections and then TUSC itself.”
Dave drew on the example of the developments at the end of the 19th century. Then, discussion in the trade unions and with socialist organisations led, in February 1900, to the establishment of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) and the election of two MPs. Then developing structures as a distinct party meant that in the 1906 election, which saw a Liberal Party landslide, the LRC won 29 MPs. Working with the pressure of a movement outside won a series of concessions from that government.
In 2024, it is possible that Jeremy Corbyn and one or two other independents will win, some Labour lefts will have survived, and there could be two or three Green MPs – that could be the kernel of a new workers’ party.
Robert Magowan from the Green Party argued that the Green’s manifesto is a manifesto for workers. It includes demands such as repeal of all anti-union legislation and nationalisation of energy and steel, and of Royal Mail “down the line”. He pointed to the party’s democratic structures, which he said is how £15 an hour became part of their manifesto. He admitted that the party does not have its origins in the trade unions but said that its 800 councillors back workers in struggle.
Speaking from the floor, TUSC candidate for Walthamstow Nancy Taaffe welcomed that the Greens had now caught up with the demands for nationalisation that were popularised by Jeremy Corbyn – but why did they stand against Corbyn?
What matters, she explained, is not just words but deeds. The record of the Greens in Scotland, Bristol and Brighton is of voting for cuts. “Workers reps should not implement cuts”. She also explained that to develop working-class political representation, the working class has to exert its power over any new formation – for there to be an intrinsic link between the picket line and the political representatives; between councillors and the workers, as had happened when socialists led Liverpool City Council in the 1980s. There is no mechanism in the Green Party for the working class to exert control.
Nadia Ditta, who had been a TUSC candidate in Southampton council elections, explained how their campaign “made history” winning a big vote for a socialist alternative. TUSC candidate in Southgate and Wood Green, Karl Vidol, explained why he had stepped up as a candidate: “The only way we’ll get what we need is if we run it”.
On behalf of the Socialist Party, Bea Gardner argued in the discussion that while it is great that there are so many candidates to the left of Labour in this election, it could have been much better. Half a million people had signed up to Enough is Enough. Imagine if that had been the start of a new workers’ party – there could be a new party as a pole of attraction to undercut the right-populism of Reform. Socialist Party members will push for a trade union conference after the general election to discuss building a new workers’ party, and for that to have socialist policies.
CWU member Deji Olayinka backed up this point, saying that in a video discussion between CWU general secretary Dave Ward, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch and UCU general secretary Jo Grady on the threat of Farage and Reform, they said that part of his rise was due to “the Labour movement not representing people the way they want to be represented”. Trade union leaders need to offer a political voice. Deji pointed out that under Tony Blair’s New Labour government, the far-right BNP won 32 council seats, whereas under Jeremy Corbyn’s 2017 manifesto a million workers were won from UKIP to Labour.
NSSN steering committee member Lawanya, from Tamil Solidarity and the Refugee Rights Campaign, explained how traditionally migrant communities had supported Labour as they were seen as anti-racist, but Starmer is “for big business only” and his policies on immigration are little different to the Tories. She stressed the importance of bringing migrant workers into the trade union movement and building a workers’ party that can genuinely represent all workers.
Strikes
Ebrima, Unite rep at the Royal London Hospital, reported on the campaign of strike action and protests conducted by workers at Barts NHS trust in east London – resulting in a new offer which members are currently balloting on.
A group of Unite members from the only tractor plant in the UK, in Basildon, were represented by Pat, who reported on their 15 days of strike action over pay – while the boss gets £11 million!
Charlie spoke about the ongoing battle of Unite members at Sanctuary, one of the biggest housing associations in the UK, where workers voted 100% for strike action for the first time in the organisation’s history.
A workers’ manifesto
- Repeal Sunak’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, along with Cameron’s Trade Union Act 2016, and all the rest of the Tory anti-union laws, going back to Thatcher and Major
- Renationalise Royal Mail, BT, buses, energy and utility companies, steel. Immediate renationalisation of the railways, rather than waiting for franchises to expire
- End privatisation in the NHS and our public services
- A real inflation-proof pay rise for workers, that protects our living standards
- A £15-an-hour minimum wage with no age exemptions
- End ‘fire and rehire’ and zero-hour contracts
- Workers’ rights from day one of employment
- An emergency funding grant for local authorities to prevent the current and pending Tory council cuts onslaught, ensuring the withdrawal of Section 114 notices. This would be the first step in restoring the 40% cut from council budgets since 2010
The NSSN believes it is essential that the trade unions fight for the implementation of policies in the interests of workers, and will be hosting a rally at the start of this year’s TUC Congress, in Brighton on Sunday 8 September at the Old Ship Hotel.
