Conference 2026 – General Secretary’s Opening Speech

Community @communityunion July 7, 2026

Community General Secretary Roy Rickhuss CBE has welcomed delegates to our 2026 Biennial Delegates Conference.

🎥 Earlier today, our General Secretary Roy Rickhuss addressed Conference, speaking on topics spanning from the threat Reform pose to workers rights to the strength and diversity of our growing sectors including the newly welcome dental nurses from the BADN.

Roy also spoke about… pic.twitter.com/lT8YCt4V5W

— Community Union (@CommunityUnion) July 7, 2026

You can read his full speech below:

“Delegates, it’s a pleasure to welcome you to the Celtic Manor for Community’s 2026 Biennial Delegate Conference. And welcome to our international guests.

“I’m sure you’ll all agree this is a fantastic venue for our conference, and I hope everyone has a great week here in Newport.

“As some of you may know – and others of you may gather from my accent – I was born in Wolverhampton. It’s the city where I was raised, and it’s where I started my working life in the steel industry.

“At the same time, I’d also like to think of myself as an honorary Welshman.

“My role with Community – and its predecessor union the ISTC – brought me to Wales, and I lived here in Newport for many years.

“I should note I wasn’t the first one to tread the path between Wolverhampton and South Wales – thousands of steelworkers and their families made the move from the Black Country to this area in the early 20^th century when the Lysaghts works relocated from the West Midlands.

“You can still see the traces of that Midlands connection today. Just down the road from here you’ll find Dudley Street, Willenhall Street and Telford Street, and the local football club, Newport County, even adopted the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ home colours.

“For many years, the Lysaghts club, known as the Institute, stood proudly opposite the gates of the Orb steelworks in Newport, and it’s where we held many of our union meetings.

“During my years in South Wales I developed a real warmth for the people. Apart from on International Day when Wales played rugby against England and, to be honest, they would have gladly killed me.

“I spent many hours in union offices across South Wales talking and listening to members, and those experiences helped shape who I am today.

“I know as trade unionists we have a reputation for being talkers, but listening and learning from people who tell you about their experiences is even more important.

“I’d like to think that I’ve brought that approach with me during my time as General Secretary. And, ultimately, I think it’s what Community is all about too. We stand with each other, we support each other and we empower each other.

“Listening to different perspectives and voices from different workplaces is all the more important in a general union which represents multiple sectors. And here at Community we really are a broad church.

“There aren’t many places in the country where you’d get teachers, prison officers, self-employed freelancers, charity workers, tanker drivers, steelworkers, shoemakers and finance workers all under one roof, but we manage it.

“We’re also delighted to welcome a brand new sector to our union this year in the form of the British Association of Dental Nurses.

“The BADN has a proud history as a professional association representing dental nurses, dating back over 80 years. And we were absolutely delighted that their members voted, decisively, to merge with Community, in a ballot held earlier this year.

“To those members of the BADN who have joined us here today, a very warm welcome to the Community family. We look forward to growing and expanding our membership, and offering support to our dental nurse members.

“Conference, when we gathered for our last BDC in Brighton 2 years ago, we were still in the dying embers of the last Conservative government. Those were difficult days for us, and trying to get meetings with ministers on behalf of our members – or even just to get the Government to listen to what we, and other trade unions, had to say – was an uphill battle.

“With a Labour Government, that’s completely changed. We now have open and constructive lines of communication in place with Secretaries of State and ministers, enabling us to put our members’ priorities and concerns right at the heart of the Government.

“The biggest difference now is that we have a Government which understands the importance of trade unions in a modern economy, and a Government which wants to work in partnership with us to deliver for working people across the country.

“For example, I am really proud to sit on the Government’s Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, making the case for the strategic importance of the steel industry, and other sectors, and revitalising our manufacturing base. I also ensure that the voices of our members are heard at the ACAS council.

“Conference, we are a Labour affiliated union, and proud of that. No one will stand here and say that it’s been an easy first two years for the Labour Government.

“They were left with an appalling legacy after the long years of Tory rule, something our members working in overcrowded prisons and underfunded schools can attest to. The scale of the challenge has meant that the pace of change has sometimes been frustrating.

“Even in that challenging context, the Labour Government has already achieved more in the last two years than the previous Conservative Government did in 14.

“We now have the Employment Rights Act in the statute book, a piece of legislation which we at Community were proud to help shape, and which was seen over the line in the House of Commons by our former Head of Politics, Minister Kate Dearden MP.

“The reforms included in that act will make a huge difference to so many of our members, whether that’s on Statutory Sick Pay, parental and paternity leave, trade union recognition rights, workplace protections, or tackling ‘fire and rehire’ and zero hours contracts.

“It’s not just the Employment Rights Act though.

“This Labour Government have also delivered significant changes in areas that affect a number of our sectors: including saving British Steel from the brink; tackling late payments to self-employed workers; record investment in heat pumps technology through the Warm Homes Plan; and much-needed reforms in education and the early years, from Best Start Family Hubs to SEND provision in schools.

“Whilst I’ve spoken about the collective achievements of the Labour Government, I think it is also important to recognise the Prime Minister’s role in driving through these important changes.

“I want to pay tribute to him for his work, and thank him for his constructive and positive engagement with Community and the wider trade union movement.

“I’m confident that the next leader of the Labour Party and next Prime Minister will continue to build upon the good work Keir has done.

“It is important that we come together to support that person, whether they hail from Greater Manchester, or somewhere else in the UK.

“Only with a unified Labour movement can we achieve the outcomes our members need and deserve.

“We’d never have achieved the positive changes we’ve seen over the last two years under the Tories, and we certainly would never have got them if Reform had got their hands on power.

“The next time someone tells you that Mr Farage and his cronies are friends of working people, remind them that every single Reform MP voted against the Employment Rights Act.

“Reform have also openly stated that they want to scrap the Equality Act, stripping away women’s rights’ at work, and we’ve all seen that Farage favours an American-style insurance scheme which would potentially do away with the NHS altogether.

“You can imagine my surprise, then, when last month Farage put out a video asking trade unions to affiliate to Reform. Mr Farage can keep fishing for multi-million pound donations from his dodgy crypto pals, but I can assure you, that conman will never get a penny from us.

“This week is not only about shaping a strong future for our union, but also an opportunity to recognise what you, our branch officials and activists, do for our union.

“You are the lifeblood of Community, and of the wider trade union movement. Without you, the union simply wouldn’t exist.

“Some of your great work can be seen in the major new recognition agreements we’ve signed since the last conference.

“From Macmillan Cancer Support in the third sector, to Johnson Matthey in Swindon in light industries. From Campsfield IRC in justice, to XPO Thurrock in the logistics sector.

“Our presence is growing, our influence is growing, and our ability to fight for the best outcomes for our members is strengthened. And that’s only possible because of each and every one of you.

“We remain a strong campaigning union too. We’ve launched new national campaigns for our finance and logistics sectors this year, with further dedicated campaigns on the way for the third sector, light industries, education, and women’s health.

“We’ll also be driving on and updating our Britain We Need Our Steel campaign; our Keep Us Safe campaign in justice; and our Early Years Charter.

“These campaigns will ensure that our voice will continue to be heard loudly and clearly by employers and in the corridors of power, including in Westminster where we now have nearly 100 Community MPs.

“Ultimately though, it’s in workplaces where we make the biggest difference – supporting colleagues through difficult times, standing together to demand better terms and conditions, and fighting for fairness.

“That work is often pretty unglamorous and unseen, and I know from many years of experience that it can be really challenging.

“It’s that work on the ground – conversation by conversation, meeting by meeting, case by case – that builds up our collective resilience and makes us a stronger union.

“That ties in with the theme of this year’s conference, Strong Union, Strong Future. That slogan is both a representation of where we are today and a mission statement for the next two years and beyond.

“We are a growing union and we want to grow further. That’s why we’ll need to demonstrate our collective strength, in workplaces and in our communities. We all have a role to play in that, and I hope that this week’s conference will energise and inspire us.

“We have some important motions and debates to come, and the policies that you vote for this week will inform our priorities as a union over the years ahead.

“We’ll also have some interesting fringe events over the coming days, which I’d encourage you all to participate in.

“Just as importantly, please enjoy yourselves over the days to come. There’ll be plenty of refreshment and activities to enjoy, and it’s also a great opportunity to put faces to names and network with other Community members from across the country.

“I’d like to conclude by wishing each and every one of you an enjoyable and productive conference.

“Let’s work together to build a Stronger Union, with a Strong Future. Thank you.”