Unite: Woodley urges Brown: convince heartland Labour voters they’ve got a government that listens
Tony Woodley, Joint General Secretary of Unite the Union, today warned Gordon Brown he must stay true to Labour if he wants Labour voters to keep faith with his Government.
He said the Government had to drop divisive talk of “British jobs for British workers”, calling instead for “decent jobs for ALL workers in our country, no matter where they come from.”
Addressing 1000 of officials of the UK’s biggest union, Unite, Tony Woodley reminded the Prime Minister of his claim that “We are at our best when we are Labour” when it came to dealing with the increase in casual working. Government’s refusal to tackle discrimination against temporary and agency workers by granting them equal treatment rights was feeding exploitation:
“Casualisation is returning with a vengeance, not just in the docks but in every sector of the economy and every part of the country. And it is not just affecting migrant workers – although they are sometimes the biggest victims – but affecting all of us.
“Let’s be clear. Workers, wherever they come from, are not to blame for driving down wages; it’s the greedy bosses that exploit them.”
Woodley said only government action would stop such exploitation, made worse by the rise in casual working: “No-one is left unscathed when terms and conditions are undermined by the existence of a huge and growing army of agency and temporary workers, without rights or protection – we’ve got to stop this abuse and stop it we’re going to.
“Government promised action to give agency workers the same rights as permanent employees – either through Europe or, if that failed, through domestic legislation.
“Yet Ministers worked night and day to block an EU directive – and block domestic legislation at the same time. We have had the government shamefully talking out backbench bills, which would have provided for justice for the exploited. And Downing Street ringing round European governments to stop action at the EU level.
“I say to Gordon Brown: stop ducking and diving and legislate now as was promised.
“Progress on this vital issue would go a long way to convincing millions of heartland Labour voters that they’ve got a government that listens and that they’re getting their Party back.”
Unite is urging the government and every Labour MP to back Andrew Miller MP’s private member’s bill on equal treatment when it comes before the House of Commons for Second Reading on February 22.
ENDS
Unite was formed on 1st May 2007 from a merger of amicus and the Transport and General Workers Union (T&G)
For further information please contact the Unite press office on 020 7611 2549/ 50
Tony Woodley was speaking at a Unite conference in Birmingham today.
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