13 September 2002
News reports from the Trades Union Congress conference in Blackpool
Kennedy pledges to fight against low pay
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy joined the attack on the government's privatisation policy in Blackpool, promising delegates that his party 'would never accuse trade unions of being the wreckers of reform'.
In an eagerly anticipated speech, the first by a non-Labour opposition leader at the TUC, he said he believed 'the momentum of public opinion is swinging towards both of us – Liberal Democrats and the trade unions alike'.
Avoiding references to possible military action in Iraq, he said he was dragging the debate in Blackpool back on to the difficult domestic agenda.
He said the LibDems would continue to fight low pay across the public sector, the diminishing numbers of final-salary pension schemes and the rising workload of teachers.
But he warned unions that they would find no comfort in a relationship with the LibDems if it were to be based on opposition to privatisation.
'I don't say that everything should be done through the public sector. But there shouldn't be an automatic American-style assumption that the private sector is always better.'
Blair hints at further talks on contracts
Prime Minister Tony Blair has hinted that the government could change its guidelines over the terms and conditions offered to workers by private contractors.
Public sector unions interpreted Blair's remarks as an indication that Labour could yet be persuaded to refine Stephen Byers' guidelines, published earlier this year, which left contracting employers' obligations unclear.
Public sector unions have argued that the guidelines help private firms in local government reduce costs by lowering pay and pension commitments, thus creating a two-tier workforce, because they merely stipulate that employers should provide 'broadly comparable' terms to councils.
Blair told delegates: 'We are addressing the issue of the two-tier workforce. We are introducing new rules so that new recruits enjoy broadly comparable pay and conditions as other local government employees transferred to the private sector. That includes, for the first time, a right to a proper pension.
'We have also ensured that staff involved in PFI hospital schemes stay on NHS terms and conditions. [But] I understand that you want us to do more.'
John Edmonds, leader of the GMB, told Public Finance: 'We're disappointed that the government continues to use the term "broadly comparable", which we know in practice equates to lower terms, conditions and pensions.
'But we're pleased that the prime minister said there were no preconceptions about his approach. We hope they will be willing to discuss the fact that the PFI and contracting [out services] has failed workers by delivering poor terms and conditions.'
Morris attacks class divisions
Education Secretary Estelle Morris promised delegates at the Trades Union Congress that Labour would step up its fight against 'deeply rooted' class divisions that she believes still pervade the sector.
In a warmly welcomed speech that played on the language, emotions and history of the union movement in education, Morris said she believed Labour had achieved many successes during its tenure in government, citing smaller class sizes, higher literacy levels in youngsters and rising GCSE pass rates.
But she emphasised the need to push on with reforms, targeting problems such as the 6 million British citizens with no qualifications, the 7 million adults with literacy rates lower than those of 11-year olds, and low rates of higher education.
She viewed the eradication of the class divide as fundamental to achieving her aims. 'What bothers me most about what still needs to be done in education is the continuing link between social class and educational attainment.
'At every stage of the education system, we haven't broken the link between poverty and attainment. If we come into trade unions and politics to do anything, it is to break that link,' she said.
Morris said she would work closely with teaching unions to help spend effectively the 6% across-the-board rise in education funding announced in this year's Spending Review.
Eamonn O'Kane, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers, told Public Finance: 'We share Estelle's ambition to eradicate class divides… But we must find the right formula to achieve that – that is our main task in partnership with government.'
TUC president Sir Tony Young said Morris's analysis of the ills of education would remind unions of the 'need to maintain a Labour government' if they are to retain influence over policy.
But a spokeswoman for the Conservative Party attacked Morris for a 'vague and deliberately elusive speech'.
PFsep2002
