TUC Congress: Issue 7 - October 2024 | Accord Magazine

TUC Congress 2024

The 156th Trades Union Congress met in Brighton from the 8th to the 11th of September, to set the trade union movement’s goals and ambitions for the year ahead.

This was the first Congress since the General Election in July and the mood was upbeat and optimistic. In his speech, Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated his commitment to the New Deal for Working People, to be enacted through the biggest package of worker’s rights reforms in a generation. And TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak celebrated the work that unions have done in the last year to challenge and defeat Conservative legislation that undermined the right to strike.

However, speakers from across the movement also recognised the significant challenges we face, including the economic situation inherited by the new government, the climate crisis, the threat of the far right, and the escalating war in the middle east.

At Congress, the views and priorities of Accord members were represented by a delegation comprised of President Carol Knowles, General Secretary Ged Nichols, and PEC members Jen Winning, Stuart Cairney and Carole Morrison

Fair Tax

Accord brought a motion on fair taxation to Congress, which was composited with motions from RMT and Unite on building a fair economy.

The motion was proposed and seconded by two of the union movement’s biggest hitters: Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham and RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch. But strong on their heels came Accord’s Jen Winning, who made a powerful case for a progressive tax system that requires the super-rich and corporations to pay their fair share.

Jen pointed out that although working people have had a tough few years battling the cost-of-living crisis, “not everyone is struggling.”

To make matters worse, Jen continued, the expanding wealth of businesses and the super-rich is not being taxed fairly. That’s why Accord, along with partner unions, is calling on the new government to rebalance the tax system so that wealth is taxed fairly, as well as income.

“Who pays tax and how much they contribute are political choices,” Jen told Congress. “They have a direct impact on our essential public services and our wider infrastructure. These choices impact directly on fairness and the cost of living for working people too.”

The motion was carried.

Accord's Carol Knowles speaking at TUC Congress 2024 - credit Rod Leon — Carol Knowles at TUC Congress 2024
*Credit: Rod Leon*

AI in banking

The challenges and opportunities of AI were a major topic of discussion at Accord’s biennial conference this year, and our delegation also raised this issue at TUC Congress.

Seconding a motion on AI, Accord President Carol Knowles told Congress that the financial sector is more vulnerable to AI-related job losses than any other industry, with up to 54% of banking jobs potentially at risk from AI in the future.

But while jobs are at risk, Carol pointed out, banking profits are set to rise to $2 trillion by 2028, an increase of 9%. She warned that companies must not be allowed to take “all of the benefits and none of the consequences,” highlighting the case of the Fintech company Klarna, which has announced its intention to halve its workforce by harnessing AI.

The costs of such approaches will be borne by both workers and customers, Carol warned, emphasising the importance of being able to provide appropriate advice to customers at their moments of greatest need, such as when their accounts have been affected by fraud, or they’re dealing with the death or infirmity of loved ones.

Accord called on Congress to support major reskilling programmes in financial services, to equip workers for the jobs of the future, as well as the adoption of innovative alternatives to redundancy and the creation of new roles that align with customer needs.

As Carol concluded, “we’re asking for the broad support of Congress to reshape the finance industry in the interests of UK customers and society, focusing on social responsibility, not just private profits.”

The motion was carried.

Paul Nowak - credit Rod Leon — Paul Nowak, TUC General Secretary
*Credit: Rod Leon*

Paul Nowak, TUC General Secretary

Paul Nowak, TUC General Secretary spoke passionately about workers and defending worker rights. Here's some of the highlights from his speech.

Highlights from Paul’s speech

“Politics isn’t a spectator sport, and neither is the long hard job of rebuilding our country. We can’t just elect a government, sit back and ask them to right every wrong. We need to roll up our sleeves and get involved.”

“We will always stand with the decent majority and we will always work to bring communities together. That is our ambition and it is our responsibility. Our movement: rooted in communities across the country. On the shop floor, in the office, the work canteen, the community centre, the high rises and the high streets. Demonstrating – by actions as well as words - that solidarity is the living, breathing spirit of this movement.”

“Last year I told Congress we would train at least 500 new Black activists. Today I can announce that we have in fact trained 534 new Black activists. And those new activists are just the start. Each and every year, we will train hundreds of new Black activists. Recruit and train more women reps. And we will take the trade union message into more workplaces. Working with good employers to secure the decent jobs our members deserve and using those new rights to hold bad bosses to account.”

Watch Paul Nowak's speech on YouTube

Keir Starmer, Prime Minister - credit: Rod Leon — Keir Starmer, Prime Minister
*Credit: Rod Leon*

Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister

Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister addressed Congress, the first time a UK Prime Minister has address Congress in 15 years. In his first speech as Prime Minister, and the first Labour government since 2010, he thanked working people and set out the governments priorites.

Highlights from Keir's speech:

“I would like to thank every one of you who held the social fabric of this country together through fourteen years where it came under relentless attack. The cleaners, the carers, the nurses, physios, shop workers, drivers, builders, cooks, posties, farmers, retailers, warehouse workers, technicians, teachers and teaching assistants. The working people who got us through the pandemic and so much more. The backbone of this country.”

“Who is growth for? Who does it serve? The right answer, the Labour answer, the British answer must be working people. That is the change we stand for. There’s nothing new in this. It’s the purpose of the Labour party – now and always. And throughout this Government, no matter the storm, the service of working people will be our anchor.”

“The mood is for partnership and not just on pay. On everything. To turn around our NHS, give our children the start in life they deserve, make our public services fit for the future, unlock the potential of clean energy. A new era of investment and reform. The common cause of national renewal.”

Watch Keir Starmer's speech on YouTube