Blogs

TUC 2024 - what happened

As the dust settles, these were the key climate motions debated and passed at TUC this year:

C05 Industrial strategy, national security and a workers’ transition was the composite motion from Unite and GMB: 

It states: "Congress agrees that climate change poses a systemic risk to working class communities, but at a time of rising geopolitical tension does not believe that we can abandon fossil fuels until we know how the jobs and communities from the North Sea fields will be protected. Congress notes with dismay that the new government has adopted a target to stop drilling in the North Sea before any plan for jobs has been agreed."

and calls for "an industrial strategy policy that maximises our domestic energy strengths for national security, with all assets and options part of the solution: nuclear, renewables and oil and gas production"

Unison, UCU and NEU spoke against the motion, and it went to a card vote, passing by by 2,712k for to 2,457k against.

You can watch the debate from 44.50 here

Motion 19, Climate change and workers’ health was brought by BFAWU and seconded by FBU.  

By passing the motion, Congress agreed to campaign for a national maximum working temperature, a heat wave furlough scheme and a climate action plan, and to support Heat Strike when temperatures go above 36C. Heat Strike is not a legal union strike but can include direct actions, protests, workplace lunchtime walkouts, awareness raising, lobbying of politicians or community actions.

You can watch from 3.19.00 here

C18 Climate emergency the next steps was a composite of motions brought by Unison and PCS.

Both had the same core - a recognition of climate change as a class issue, and the need for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels based on a just transition, public ownership and a national climate service. 

GMB had submitted an amendment to the original PCS motion. As you can see this contradicts the intention of the original motion (what we'd call a wrecking amendment) and Unison and PCS did not accept its inclusion in the composite motion.

GMB and Prospect abstained and Unite said they were supporting the motion 'with reservation', so the motion was carried.

You can watch from 2:42:40 here

What next...

There are clearly contradictions between these motions, and debates will inevitably continue. It's important that these are framed in the context of the climate crisis as an urgent global issue that affects all workers. We're very grateful to all those who held that red line strongly at TUC.

Among much else, C18 commits TUC to "a year of green trade union activity including engagement with community and climate justice groups". We think this could be a very useful platform for activity where we can take the initiative.

Watch this space for further discussion and action.

Climate crisis: important motions at this year's TUC

Motions proposed by Unison and PCS would commit the Trade Union movement to the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuel and invest in climate jobs. The GMB has proposed amendments which if accepted would remove this clear commitment to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels. 

This is an important moment for TUC delegates to support motions which would give impetus to putting the climate crisis at the top of the TU agenda and seriously get behind demanding an urgent transition with huge investment in the jobs which could make a difference.

The GMB amendments should be rejected. We need a clear and unambiguous commitment to end fossil fuels in line with the urgency of the climate crisis. 

The details of the motions and debates are covered in the Green Jobs Alliance (GJA) special newsletter which poses the questions - 'Will our movement be on the right side of the science and the right side of history after the TUC Congress this year?' This is essential reading for all and especially for TUC delegates. 

The GMB flesh out their support for gas in a motion on industrial strategy, this is a motion which would, if passed, disastrously demand continued fossil fuel investment by the government. Unite's motion on the transition in North Sea oil and gas fields has adopted the slogan, 'no ban without a plan'. But we need both. A ban cannot not be counterposed to a plan, both are urgent and necessary. The detail of these motions are discussed in the GJA newsletter, and the full TUC agenda is here (climate motions from p15 onwards)

Further reading: CACCTU response to Unite's campaign

Delegates welcome to join our fringe meeting

Sun 8th Sept: What should a new government do for jobs and climate in a climate crisis?

Sunday 8th September, 6.30-7.45pm, Meeting room 1c, Brighton Centre, hosted by CACCTU

The climate crisis is a class and trade union issue, already impacting the lives and livelihoods of working class people globally. Tackling it requires urgent action on fossil fuels and active leadership across the union movement is essential.  This is not an issue any trade unionist can ignore. 

An end to fossil fuels, a just transition and a plan to deliver this and huge public investment in the transformation of the economy have never been more urgent.

Speakers:

  • Daniel Kebede, General Secretary, NEU
  • John Moloney, Assistant General Secretary, PCS
  • Liz Wheatley, Unison
  • Nick Mead, BFAWU

Chaired by Suzanne Jeffery, CACCTU

Time for Change

Labour has swept to power on a wave of disillusionment and anger at the Conservative Party. It’s an opportunity to fix much that has been broken in this country, to build a fairer society, and also to take urgent action on the existential threat of climate breakdown, which is already causing destruction around the world, hitting those who have done least to cause the crisis hardest.

We need to invest in the future

For decades the level of public investment in the UK has been significantly lower than that of comparable countries. The Labour government has promised to deliver tangible improvements to people’s lives; to repair the damage to public services caused by austerity; and to get the UK back on track to address the climate crisis. These are all essential, but if public spending continues to be constrained to austerity levels, it is hard to see how these aspirations can succeed.

We need a workforce for the climate emergency

Any credible strategy to tackle the climate crisis needs to also be a jobs strategy, as set out for example in the Campaign against Climate Change’s 2021 report, Climate Jobs: Building a Workforce for the Climate Emergency. There are jobs to be created around the country - in insulating homes and installing heat pumps, in public transport, in renewable energy, in shifting to a zero waste economy, repairing, reusing and recycling. And in the rural economy, where farming is already being hit by climate breakdown.

The climate crisis demands that we need a rapid transition away from fossil fuels and no new oil and gas exploration or infrastructure. Jobs in North Sea oil extraction have already halved in the past decade, a trend which will inevitably continue as reserves decline. A just transition plan, shifting to renewable energy that can give this country genuine energy security, is not just needed for the climate, it is essential to protect these workers and communities.

Pages