John Williams, Cardiff West Socialist Party
Between 24 and 26 May, around 200 delegates attended the conference of Wales Trades Union Congress (TUC). I attended as a delegate from Cardiff Trades Council. As a young hospitality worker, I was keen to see what the trade union leadership in Wales had to offer. As a 26-year-old, by far the youngest attendee, I was slightly nervous.
Youth Fight for Jobs
I moved a motion from Cardiff Trades Council on youth employment rights, with demands such as scrapping zero-hour contracts, and a living wage for all workers, regardless of age. The motion also congratulated the Youth Fights for Jobs campaign, and was passed unanimously.
Unite called for congress to support the #getmehomesafe campaign, aimed at workers in the hospitality sector who have to get home at night, a safety issue for women in particular. A motion from Caerphilly Trades Council was passed, calling for the Welsh government to give NHS Wales workers a 15% pay rise and to recruit at least 2,000 new nurses. Cardiff’s motion for the Welsh government to fully and permanently nationalise rail was also passed.
However, due to recommendations from the general council (Wales TUC’s governing body), motions that would put pressure on the Welsh government to nationalise the energy sector and buses in Wales were rejected. They said that there are currently negotiations between the Welsh government and the bus companies, and although public ownership was the “desired outcome”, the motion would tie their hands.
On nationalising energy, they claimed that the Welsh government hasn’t got the power to nationalise energy in Wales. Socialist Party Wales has always argued that the Welsh government should campaign for more devolved powers so they would be able to nationalise industry.
Socialist Party members and many others were frustrated at the running of the event. We were asked to vote on emergency motions that nobody saw as, by mistake, they weren’t given out. The president tried to block Socialist Party member Alec Thraves from speaking to oppose the decision to not reopen the discussion, but allowed him to speak after pressure from the floor.
The standing orders committee curtailed speakers, claiming we were behind time. But, amazingly, we then had a two-hour rally of political and trade union leaders, including Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford and TUC secretary Frances O’Grady. But the conference actually finished two-and-a-half hours early!
Undemocratic
Many delegates had prepared contributions that we weren’t able to give. It’s already difficult for young people, women, LGBTQ+, and BAME people to get involved in politics, and to effectively be told that our voices don’t matter as much as politicians is a disgrace. In discussion with other angry delegates, we are proposing to complain to the general council about the undemocratic nature of the congress. It is now the position of the Wales TUC, for example, to lobby Welsh government for more investment in nuclear energy. This was passed with no proper debate.
Despite this, Socialist Party members had a good impact, selling over 40 papers. Listening to our contributions gave me even more confidence that we have the ideas to change society, and that there is support for more fighting policies. What’s missing is the militant leadership to take the fight to the political establishment in Westminster and in Wales.
