The Institute at the Durham Miners’ Gala

On Friday the 10th July, the Institute of Employment Rights, alongside the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom held their annual pre-Durham Miners’ Gala rally, one of the highlights of the Big Meeting weekend.

The Employment Rights Act passed last year was a good first step and introduced a number of important new rights for individual workers, but the IER, CTUF and it’s network of experts have subsequently argued that it has done very little to restore rights for trade unions – our collective rights at work. There are three important topics that were set out in Labour’s Green Paper New Deal for Working People that have not made it into the new legislation:

• repeal the anti-union laws
• ensure that UK labour law is in compliance with international standards
• statutory support for sector wide collective bargaining.

In Durham, the need a new framework of law at work that will once again ensure that trade unions have power in the workplace was placed at the head of the agenda.

Speaking at the meeting, held at Durham’s Elvet Methodist Church, were: Fran Heathcote – General Secretary, Public & Commercial Services Union; Andrea Egan – General Secretary, Unison; Lord John Hendy KC – Campaign for Trade Union Freedom/Institute of Employment Rights; Steve Gillan – General Secretary, POA; Gawain Little– General Secretary, GFTU; Cristina loanitescu – General Secretary, App Drivers & Couriers Union; Sarah Kilpatrick – Deputy General Secretary, NEU; Adelina McLeod of the BMA. Chairing the meeting was Sarah Woolley – General Secretary, Bakers’ Food & Allied Workers’ Union.

Fran Heathcote made a strong argument for a second Employment Rights Bill & sectoral collective bargaining, saying that – as things stand – unscrupulous employers will continue to exploit insecure workers.

Steve Gillan talked about the campaign to return Prison Officers’ right to strike.

Andrea Egan explained that sectoral collective bargaining is fundamental to the fight against low pay & insecurity & is one of the things a Labour government, under a new leadership, could do to change the lives of public sector workers.

Cristina Ioanitescu warned that ‘Uberisation’ is sweeping across the economy, creating swathes of insecure workers without status.

Lord John Hendy asked how it is that a Labour government with such an enormous majority has not implemented the New Deal for Working People in full?

Sarah Kilpatrick said: “We’re not here for nostalgia. We are here because the rights we’ve fought for are under ever-present threat.”

Gawain Little rammed home the importance of the fight for the repeal of all anti-trade union legislation – including the ban on secondary action, saying, “You can’t legislate solidarity out of action!”

– and Adelina McLeod talked about the exploitation of migrant workers in the NHS & the risks that workers face when challenging that exploitation – risking their jobs, their accommodation & immigration status.

You can read the Morning Star’s report of the meeting here.