TUC equality conferences 2022

The conference process

You may have attended a union conference in the past, such as Accord's own biennial delegate conference. The TUC conferences work in a very similar way, but there are some differences too. So, let's have a look at how the conference process works.

Motions:

1. Motions - the TUC start by collating motions for each union (see more about motions in the "all about motions" section.
2. Amendments - once all motions are reviewed and collated, the TUC will circulate a preliminary agenda. Once this agenda is available, each union is invited to review and submit amendments. Amendments shouldn't try to change the motion, but can add additional points and sometimes even widen the scope of what is asked for.
3. Final agenda - the finalised agenda is circulated ahead of the conference. At each conference, delegates are asked to vote on which motion should be submitted to the TUC congress, forming part of the national campaigning agenda.

Equality committees:

1. Each equality conference has a corresponding equality committee who are responsible for advancing the motions once conference has voted and agreed upon them.
2. Each union has the ability to nominate one candidate to each of the equality committees. The committees have reserved seats, called 'sections' which allows for diverse and broad representation across different underrepresented groups.

Conference locations

Covid-19 permitting, all conferences are being held at TUC Congress House in central London. The only exception to this is the Disabled Workers' conference which will be held at the Bournemouth Internation Convention Centre due to accessibility constraints at TUC Congress House.

Decisions were made by the respective equality committee to host the Womens' conference and Disabled Worker's conference online.

What is a motion?

A motion gives unions the opportunity to shape the TUC's campaigning agenda for the next year. 

They seek changes to the way in which workers are managed, changes to terms and conditions of employment and improvements to their working environment.

They will typically be submitted by groups of members. Either by branches or department teams. Motions must be submitted to Accord HQ by the deadline given. They’ll then be considered by the Standing Orders Committee (SOC), alongside Accord’s president and general secretary.

Those that make it into the agenda will usually be grouped together so that similar issues can be debated collectively, or where they seek conflicting outcomes. Once a motion has been presented to conference, it needs to be seconded by another delegate before a discussion / debate can begin.

Tips for writing motions

• make your motion simple to follow – avoid technical terms & business jargon
• make it easy to understand – keep it clear and simple
• don’t try to explain everything at once – that’s what the supporting speech is for
• ask for an outcome and suggest a solution to the issue
• try not to criticise colleagues in other business areas – they may be at conference, and you may need their support
• there is usually a 200 maximum word count for each motion, but don't focus on this

We've taken some examples from the 2021 conferences which will help you to understand what a good motion looks like, how to construct it, and how to present it.

Deadlines for motion submissions for 2022 conferences:

• TUC Women's conference – 1^st December 2021
• TUC Disabled Workers' conference – 1^st December 2021
• TUC Young Workers' conference – 23^rd December 2021
• TUC Black Workers' conference – 3^rd February 2022
• TUC LGBT+ conference – 11^th February 2022

Equality committees

Each union has the ability to nominate one candidate to each of the equality committees. The committees have reserved seats, called 'sections' which allows for diverse and broad representation across different underrepresented groups

Deadlines for nominations to committee:

• TUC Women's conference – 1^st December 2021
• TUC Disabled Workers' conference – 1^st December 2021
• TUC Young Workers' conference – 23^rd December 2021
• TUC Black Workers' conference – 3^rd February 2022
• TUC LGBT+ conference – 11^th February 2022

What the committees do:

All committees are advisory in capacity and appointed under the TUC’s Rules and Standing Orders. They represent a direct link to the TUC General Council, promoting equality matters and ensuring under-represented group’s voices are part of the TUC’s agenda.

Committees provides advice to the TUC General Council. This includes advice relating to:

• Policy in line with the decisions of the equality conferences
• Progress on the TUC’s equalities campaign plan and wider equalities campaigns
• Ensuring strategies to achieve equality are included within the TUC’s overall priorities and campaigns
• Ensuring equality is integral to unions’ industrial and bargaining agendas, and to facilitate training opportunities for under-represented workers.