From the 12th to the 14th of September, the 153rd annual TUC Congress will take place. It will give every trade unionist a chance to get involved, connect with one another, and showcase the importance of trade unionism.
When the first TUC Congress took place in 1868, trade unionists from all over the U.K. gathered at the Mechanics’ Institute in Manchester. This year, reflecting the times we are still living in, Congress will once again be held online.
The theme for this year’s congress is ‘Unions building dignity at work’ – and after the experiences of the last year and a half this could not be timelier.
We’ve seen employers leaving their workforce without adequate PPE, forcing their employees to take on reduced pay and conditions and return to workplaces in unsafe conditions.
At Community, we’re continuing to campaign for a better working world. We recognise that the pandemic has changed everything, and that it is on all of us to create the world of work we want to see.
At this TUC Congress, our focus will firmly be on the future.
We will be highlighting the need for a strong and sustainable steel industry to build back better and deliver net-zero. We will continue to argue that our steel industry must decarbonise, in a responsible way, and recognises that the future of British steelmaking is supporting green jobs at the core of a low-carbon economy.
We will be stressing the importance of closing the skills gap. We will note that 11.3 million people in the U.K. lack the basic digital skills to use the internet effectively, whilst 5 million lack basic literacy and numeracy skills, creating barriers to these workers accessing jobs. We will argue that it is essential that workers in the UK have the skills for the jobs of tomorrow.
We will also be backing our fellow unions as we work together to create a better working world, including on education recovery after Covid-19.
I hope you all have an informative and enjoyable 153rd TUC Congress. I look forward to seeing many of you across the days. Keep an eye on our social media, where we’ll be sharing updates on our motions, speeches, and participation in fringes throughout.
If you are a member of Community and need help or advice, please contact us at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.
© Community Trade Union 2024