The minimum wage, which we were also told to be grateful for, is not being implemented even at the terribly low level it is currently set at. Employers are getting away with sacking people who complain about the level of pay, and others are cutting hours while increasing workloads and reducing holidays to compensate. At its election manifesto-deciding Policy Forum on employment rights, Labour made no commitment to improve rights at work if they win a second term in office. Worse, many trade union leaders are prepared to let them get away with this. The trade union movement should be fighting the anti-union laws, not allowing Labour to continue to stop us from effectively defending our members.
Most union leaders seem quite content to continue to be apologists for New Labour.
We need less hot air and more official support for campaigns which demand better union rights and better rights at work. We urge visitors to our website to become involved in the Reclaim Our Rights campaign - an initiative already backed by 10 national unions and hundreds of local affiliates.