UK unions urge Labour to fix public services

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British trade unions hold their annual meeting in Brighton on Sunday, calling on the new Labour government to fix public services and improve working conditions.

The conference is organised by the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the umbrella body representing most trade unions in England and Wales, and will run until Wednesday.

“It’s the first TUC congress in 15 years under a Labour government. It’s a big deal,” a TUC spokesman told AFP.

“We are ready to work with this government after 14 years of chaos,” the spokesman added.

The Labour Party has historically been allied with trade unions, which contribute a substantial amount to the party’s income.

A government figure is expected to speak at the conference on Tuesday – Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s name has been floated, although not confirmed.

The TUC is calling on the new government to provide a “long-term plan to fix public services”, which are struggling to attract and retain staff as pay has fallen in recent years and workloads have been heavy.

Coming to power after 14 years of Conservative rule, Labour has already secured above-inflation pay rises for frontline workers, many of whom have faced a series of strikes in recent years, from railways to health.

This is a “crucial first step”, according to the TUC.

However, the TUC wants the government to go further and fully compensate public servants for the decline in their purchasing power over the past 14 years.

As newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves promises “iron discipline” over public finances, unions could increase pressure on the centre-left Labour Party.

In its election manifesto, Labour put forward proposals to legally ban practices such as “fire and rehire” – where employers dismiss workers and then rehire them on inferior contracts – and to ban zero-hours contracts, which leave workers without a minimum number of hours to work.

The government’s proposals are “good for workers and employers”, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said at the X.

He warned that “if you have built your business model on low-paid, insecure jobs, you will need to change.”

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