Community at TUC Congress 2025

Community union reps and officials played an active role at TUC Congress in Brighton this week.

In the conference hall, Community delegates moved and spoke in support of a range of motions covering the steel industry; AI and the future of work; and the rights of self-employed workers.

Angela Carrigan, Community rep at Dalzell steelworks in Motherwell, moved Community’s motion on securing a future for our steel sector. In her speech, Angela focused on the vital role steel plays in critical transport and infrastructure, and the need for investment in the sector after long years of neglect under Conservative governments.

Community’s motion passed unopposed.

In her remarks to Congress Angela Carrigan said:

“Congress, we’ve seen the tide change under this Labour government, taking back control of British Steel and Speciality Steel. This must continue, we need a comprehensive steel strategy now, shoring up and future proofing our combined Steel Industry.

“Steelworkers across the country are only asking for a level playing field; lower wholesale energy prices; fair UK procurement and an end to steel dumping.”

Kelvin Myles, Community rep at the West Bromwich Building Society, moved Community’s motion on AI and the future world of work, with a focus on its impact in the finance sector. In his remarks, Kelvin outlined how AI should be used to enhance workplaces, and how government and employers should work together to ensure that AI does not limit entryways into the finance sector for young workers. Kelvin also outlined the importance of AI training for workers of all ages, highlighting the success of Community’s AI Works scheme with Google. Our motion passed unopposed.

Addressing Congress from the stage, Kelvin Myles said:

“AI is here. AI will be part of our working world. The question of whether it will or not is no longer the key question. The question instead is how. How will AI be implemented in our workplaces? How will we face the issues it brings? How will we secure the opportunities it can bring?

“Because we stand at a crossroads within our economy, and we must choose whether we go down a road where AI undermines workers, where it is used to remove worker autonomy, where it used to monitor workers without the nuance of human compassion or sense, and where it used to remove workers.

“But that is not the only road. That is not the only choice that is available to us. Another road, another future for the world of work is possible. We need to ensure that AI is used to enhance workers, not replace them. Through robust training and retraining for all workers regardless of their age can allow workers to harness AI to work for them.”

Dalzell Steelworks rep Ross Clark spoke in support of a motion focusing on the issues the UK’s self-employed workforce face. In his speech, Ross welcomed the Labour government’s move to crack down on the scourge of late payments through its Industrial and Small Business strategies.

In his remarks to Congress, Ross Clark said:

“At Community we hear too many stories of self-employed workers who work even though they are sick, because they don’t have access to the statutory sick pay rights that allow them to take the time that they need to recover.

“Of course working while sick runs the risk of taking a something that might only be a small issue, and making it so much worse. It is wrong whether you’re self-employed or traditionally employed to have to go into work while sick, just because the safety net of sick pay is not there for you. We need to reform our statutory sick pay system to make it work and work effectively for self-employed workers.”