UK

“Bakers’ Dozen” General Election manifesto launched today in Parliament

The Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) are set to launch their Bakers’ Dozen Manifesto that they and their members want to see introduced by the next UK Government.

Aimed especially at the Labour Party, the Bakers’ Dozen report and manifesto lays out 13 policy demands that would transform the lives of their members and working class people across the country.

Based on union policy and a survey of their members, the Bakers’ Dozen Manifesto sets out a visionary range of policies including full employment rights from day one, a £15 an hour living wage, the creation of a national care service, renationalisation of utilities and the abolition of university tuition fees.

The survey also demonstrated that support for Labour amongst BFAWU members has fallen and that the Party in Government must deliver for working class people and not take their support for granted. 

Sarah Woolley General Secretary of the Union said: “The results show how politically engaged our members are. The issues impacting BFAWU members reflect the concerns of the wider population. The cost of living crisis that is affecting people’s ability to pay for basic needs such as food, energy and housing is the single biggest concern facing members. Access to NHS services, the lack of affordable housing and low pay are also big issues.

“Critically, our members have set out what they believe is necessary to help address the issues that are confronting them in their communities and workplaces. We have offered in our Bakers’ Dozen Manifesto, good, common sense, fair and constructive hopeful suggestions, which if implemented, would benefit our members and every other worker across the UK. We urge the Labour Party in particular to pay attention and take on board our manifesto.”

The full list of demands is:

1. Introduce a £15 an hour national minimum wage for all workers regardless of age to end the unfair youth limit on the national minimum wage.
2. Abolish zero-hour contracts.
3. Full employment rights from day one.
4. Ensure all employers are legally required to provide six weeks of contractual sick pay at 100% of normal pay to all workers.
5. Repeal all anti-trade union legislation.
6. Legislate for a maximum temperature in the workplace.
7. End the practice of companies going into administration to avoid their financial responsibilities and obligations to their workforce and fine directors who leave workers high and dry.
8. Take water, energy and Royal Mail back into public ownership, curb excessive pricing and remove the profit motive from our essential services.
9. Introduce a statutory Right to Food, free school meals and place a cap on Supermarket profits.
10.  Re-nationalise our train companies, cap bus fares at £2 max for a single journey and introduce free public transport for all 16–25 year olds.
11.  End arm sales to Israel.
12.  Abolish Tuition Fees, re-introduce the Union Learning Fund in England, whilst protecting the funds in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
13.  Create a national care service that provides dignity for the elderly and vulnerable no matter their income and wealth.

Ian Hodson President of the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union said:

“Our Bakers’ Dozen manifesto represents a set of policies that our members are demanding and need in order to help them live and work with dignity and in a way that provides them with the means to lead a good and fulfilling life. Working class people need policies that will ensure they are paid well, treated fairly in the workplace and are given the public services that they need and deserve.

“After years of decline they are a million miles from having these. If an incoming Labour Government does not address that decline, then this will lead to bitter disappointment and fuel the seeds of their future decline. They should pay attention to these demands and the needs of working class people.” 

MAY 14, 2024LABOUR HUB EDITORS