"Collective bargaining is now essential
for our economy", Jane Carolan told
the STUC congress in a 'back to basics'
speech calling for a new manifesto for
negotiating rights.
"These rights must be enforced and
enforced together-we should not accept
half measures or other attempts to distract
us", she said.
She was backing a motion from the General
Council backed by Unite, PCS, RMT and
the STUC youth conference which called
for:-
- legislation that seeks to respect,
promote and develop collective bargaining
in accordance with international law;
- enforcement powers to ensure employers
comply
- a ban on the use of union busting firms;
- law to make collective bargaining is
a pre-condition in awarding public contracts;
- a statutory scheme of sectoral bargaining,
responsive to the needs of each sector,
with Wages Councils instituted in those
sectors without the infrastructure to
support collective bargaining.
Jane laid out the basic trade union rights
we must campaign for. She called for:
"The right to collective bargaining
to be underpinned by other fundamental
labour rights
"The right to organise unimpeded
by the blacklist organisers or the union
busters
"And the right to strike, the fundamental
right to withdraw labour.
"These rights must be enforced and
enforced together-we should not accept
half measures or other attempts to distract
us."
Collective bargaining is essential for
the regulation of working conditions and
for achieving higher wages but it is also
essential for our economy: "To raise
wages, and thus stimulate demand and increase
employment, while also ensuring an increased
tax take and a lower benefits bill."
"Collective Bargaining challenges
inequality and is a force for social justice",
said Jane.
"Collective bargaining provides
a collective voice for the workforce and
the basis of industrial democracy.
"As a movement we must stick to
these clear demands as our basis for achieving
a better deal for the working class of
this country."
