The TUC long ago ceased to be a forum to mobilise workers. The few protests outside were subdued. From elderly comrades claiming to be the WRP Young Socialists to a muted very small march past the Brighton Centre from the NSSN at the opening of Congress.
But Congress is still a bellwether of the confidence and influence of unions, a health check of sorts on the unity of Left unions and the direction of union leaderships. Until recently Unite had always been a powerhouse at Congress, leading the Left unions, showing direction, and fighting for Left policies alongside our sisters and brothers within the movement.
Unite moved three composites at Congress;
- Composite 4: Building a fairer economy
- Composite 5: Industrial strategy, national security, and a worker’s transition
- Composite 16: Artificial intelligence: Regulation: Equality, skills, training, and the arts
Unite also had several amendments, most controversially Motion 77 on Palestine.
Unite speakers made powerful contributions to several debates on Public Services, Tackling Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Challenging the Politics of Hate, Ending the Hostile Environment towards Workers and Unions, UK Steel, and many others.
Unite also supported the three emergency motions on; Violence Against Women and girls; Stop the Escalation of War in The Middle East; Make Our Railways Accessible to all.
On some debates Unite found itself opposed by unions that we used to be able to work alongside. Congress also showed the Left EC in Unison asserting itself in several debates.
This was particularly clear on the only international motion placed before congress, from NEU on Palestine.
FBU CWU ASLEF RMT PCS & UNISON all supported this powerful motion. While Unite’s leadership, disappointingly true to form, procrastinated on the NEU motion by attempting to introduce an amendment which sought to undermine solidarity with Gaza and Palestine, and one which was bound to be defeated if put to a vote on the Congress floor.
The Unite amendment calling for the banning of arms sold directly to Israel, was also not in line with Unite national policy agreed at Policy conferences since 2010.
If it had gone to a vote at the delegation meeting, rumour has it that many Left comrades were ready to demand the withdrawal of the Amendment and support for the NEU motion and the UNISON Amendment.
Instead, the top table asked delegates to not take any decision until discussions were held about the wording of any new composite. The Unite delegation learned on Wednesday morning that Unite was backing the composite and had withdrawn the Amendment at a hastily convened huddle in the Congress Hall.
In the end the Unite top table supported the composite demanding an end to all arms sales to Israel and support for BDS.
It is hoped that this will be a sea change from the national leadership and Unite will now carry out existing policy and mobilise support for Palestine after the last 12 months of obstruction; from refusing to discuss democratically agreed motions on Palestine from regions, equality, and sector committees at Unite’s EC, to refusing to mobilise for the vibrant marches in solidarity with the people of Gaza and the West Bank, our union has seriously mis- stepped on this critical issue.
Unite also had very few speakers at Congress fringe meetings. The General Secretary did not attend or address any. The United Left participated in a well-attended fringe with former London & Eastern Regional Secretary Peter Kavanagh speaking on a Unions Lefts joint meeting on building a socialist future alongside leading left activists from RMT, PCS, Bakers Union, NEU, Unison and Omar Barghouti, from BDS Movement speaking forcefully of the need to keep resisting the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Our flagship industrial motions on building a fairer economy (composite 4) and Industrial Strategy national security and a worker’s transition (composite5) were all carried.
On Monday Cliff Bowen, Unite’s Grangemouth Convenor, put forward a powerful well-thought through speech on defending Unite members’ jobs and futures as the UK transitions from fossil fuels to greener energy (Composite 5). The Composite seconded by GMB and supported from the podium by NAS/UWT was a rare occasion in recent years where there were real differences between unions, and a card vote had to be held. Unite’s composite won by 2.7 million votes to 2.4 million.
A day after the composite was passed Ineos announced the closure of its refinery at Grangemouth with the loss of 400 jobs. There is no indication of alternate skilled jobs on the same wages and terms and conditions on the table for those Unite members and their families in North-East Scotland. This follows a pattern at Tata Steel at Port Talbot, and concerns over British Steel at Scunthorpe.
Starmer’s speech was a listless tick box exercise. It was however interesting to see the GS, EC Chair and a few others on the front row giving him a standing ovation. If they were to have looked behind to the other 5 rows of the Unite delegation, they should not have been surprised to see the rest of the delegation remained seated; not a good “optic”.
The above short report is just a snapshot of Congress and Unite’s role in it. Unite appeared at times to be detached from other Left unions. This chimes with concerns being raised by many Unite activists that Unite appears rudderless, more concerned with internal control and a rumours of an early GS election next year than developing a fresh industrial, political, and organising strategy.
At least the TUC got one thing right; They produced a written set of accounts for Congress to scrutinise if it wished. There were no such accounts prepared for the Unite 2023 Policy conference – completely contrary to Unite’s Rule Book. The GS gave that Unite lay member conference an assurance that they would be prepared and put before the conference delegates “very soon.” That was 14 months ago……..
