Delegates at the TUC union federation's conference are angry at Starmer's plan to slash winter fuel payments
Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham speaks at TUC conference
(Picture: Sharon Graham on Twitter/X)
By Thomas Foster in Brighton
Monday 09 September 2024
Monday 09 September 2024
SOCIALIST WORKER
Labour is on the “wrong economic path”. That was the damning indictment from Unite union leader Sharon Graham at the TUC union federation conference on Monday.
Her speech came the day before Keir Starmer plans to steal winter fuel allowance from ten million pensioners.
“Labour has signalled some good things but the economic path it is on is simply wrong,” Graham told delegates. “How can a Labour government remove the winter fuel allowance while the top 50 families are worth £50 billion?
Graham said that Labour “needs to be making different choices”—and that workers “are at the end of the line”. “The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poor and the poorest are worse every time,” she said.
Her closing message was, “No to cuts, no to austerity mark two—and yes to wealth tax”.
Many people voted for Labour hoping for change after 14 years of Tory rule.
The message from TUC general secretary Paul Nowak and many union leaders is—“Give Labour a chance.”
That taps into a general sense of relief that the Tories aren’t in government any more. Bill, a Unison union member, told Socialist Worker, “After 14 years of the Tories, what’s not to support Labour.” He said that he was “hopeful” of Labour and “willing to give Starmer a chance”.
“He’s only been in office for around eight weeks so it’s not a lot that can be done in that time.”
But many delegates—while glad the Tories are out—do expect more from a Labour government. Another Unison delegate welcomed the end of the Tories and was open to “testing out what Labour is going to be about”.
But he added that Starmer’s suspension of seven MPs who voted to scrap the two-child benefit camp in July could be a turning point. He said it was “a significant event in determining the direction that Labour wants to go in”.
“We have to develop a plan that fights for the money we need and develop a strategy that puts the government under pressure.”
He argued that trade unionists will have to use both “industrial muscle and political muscle”.
NEU education union general secretary Daniel Kebede told a fringe that Starmer’s refusal to scrap the two child benefit cap is “a disgrace”. “It’s happening when Starmer is committing 2.5 percent to militarism and arms,” he said. “I want him to commit to spending more on education instead.
Tensions over Starmer at TUC union federation congress
“We can’t be complacent as Starmer is going to need a push. We are going to have to fight again. It’s not a matter of if—but when.”
Duggy, a Bfawu food workers’ union delegate, told Socialist Worker, “What Labour is doing is a disgrace. It is punishing pensioners and children. I didn’t have a huge amount of hope and when I see things like the winter fuel payment cuts, I’m dreading what’s in store with Labour.”
“The TUC thinks it is going to get a lot out of Labour but I don’t think it will. Unless trade unionists make Labour do something, things won’t change”.
“Nothing ever shifts without people putting demands and forcing change. It’s the working class that changes the world—it comes from the bottom up not the top down.”
An RMT transport union delegate wasn’t expecting much from the Labour government. “If you look at social democratic parties in the last 20 years, you have to be an optimist to think they come down in favour of workers,” he said.
“They’ve either lurched decisively to the right or even gone into coalitions with right wing parties. Throughout the world social democratic governments fail to confront neoliberal capitalism and become hated.”
“We have to be ready for that possibility to develop in Britain.”
Labour is on the “wrong economic path”. That was the damning indictment from Unite union leader Sharon Graham at the TUC union federation conference on Monday.
Her speech came the day before Keir Starmer plans to steal winter fuel allowance from ten million pensioners.
“Labour has signalled some good things but the economic path it is on is simply wrong,” Graham told delegates. “How can a Labour government remove the winter fuel allowance while the top 50 families are worth £50 billion?
Graham said that Labour “needs to be making different choices”—and that workers “are at the end of the line”. “The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poor and the poorest are worse every time,” she said.
Her closing message was, “No to cuts, no to austerity mark two—and yes to wealth tax”.
Many people voted for Labour hoping for change after 14 years of Tory rule.
The message from TUC general secretary Paul Nowak and many union leaders is—“Give Labour a chance.”
That taps into a general sense of relief that the Tories aren’t in government any more. Bill, a Unison union member, told Socialist Worker, “After 14 years of the Tories, what’s not to support Labour.” He said that he was “hopeful” of Labour and “willing to give Starmer a chance”.
“He’s only been in office for around eight weeks so it’s not a lot that can be done in that time.”
But many delegates—while glad the Tories are out—do expect more from a Labour government. Another Unison delegate welcomed the end of the Tories and was open to “testing out what Labour is going to be about”.
But he added that Starmer’s suspension of seven MPs who voted to scrap the two-child benefit camp in July could be a turning point. He said it was “a significant event in determining the direction that Labour wants to go in”.
“We have to develop a plan that fights for the money we need and develop a strategy that puts the government under pressure.”
He argued that trade unionists will have to use both “industrial muscle and political muscle”.
NEU education union general secretary Daniel Kebede told a fringe that Starmer’s refusal to scrap the two child benefit cap is “a disgrace”. “It’s happening when Starmer is committing 2.5 percent to militarism and arms,” he said. “I want him to commit to spending more on education instead.
Tensions over Starmer at TUC union federation congress
“We can’t be complacent as Starmer is going to need a push. We are going to have to fight again. It’s not a matter of if—but when.”
Duggy, a Bfawu food workers’ union delegate, told Socialist Worker, “What Labour is doing is a disgrace. It is punishing pensioners and children. I didn’t have a huge amount of hope and when I see things like the winter fuel payment cuts, I’m dreading what’s in store with Labour.”
“The TUC thinks it is going to get a lot out of Labour but I don’t think it will. Unless trade unionists make Labour do something, things won’t change”.
“Nothing ever shifts without people putting demands and forcing change. It’s the working class that changes the world—it comes from the bottom up not the top down.”
An RMT transport union delegate wasn’t expecting much from the Labour government. “If you look at social democratic parties in the last 20 years, you have to be an optimist to think they come down in favour of workers,” he said.
“They’ve either lurched decisively to the right or even gone into coalitions with right wing parties. Throughout the world social democratic governments fail to confront neoliberal capitalism and become hated.”
“We have to be ready for that possibility to develop in Britain.”
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