Trade Unions across the North West, and the rest of the UK, will start a week of action and celebration from Monday 8th February to celebrate the work they do in workplaces and communities. The week, called ‘#HeartUnions’ week, will promote the positive work and role of trade unions in workplaces and in the wider community. The week, being co-ordinated by the TUC, will see a series of events, activities and meetings taking place to get the message out, encourage membership and promote the campaign against the government’s Trade Union Bill, which is awaiting its Third Reading in the House of Lords.
Across the North West, unions will host Big Workplace Meetings in workplace, watching a live broadcast at lunchtime featuring TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady and comedian Eddie Izzard. Unions will also be working in the workplace, celebrating successes for members ranging from pay increases, securing jobs and providing opportunities for learning for members. (Large workplace meetings will take place in Liverpool and Manchester – for details, please contact)
Friday see’s the Regional Unionlearn Conference in Southport, which will celebrate the work done in learning by unions across the region. More than 2,000 Union Learning Reps across the region are responsible for providing improvements in education in the workplace, ranging from Maths and English, to IT Skills and improving qualifications that upskill workers.
Lynn Collins, North West TUC Regional Secretary, said; “We want to public to know the whole story about trades unions – the work they do in workplaces improving standards, ensuring fairness and building better businesses – but also their wider work in society and supporting their members. Take Nautilus, the maritime union, whose Mariners Park estate in New Brighton provides retirement homes and care for ex-seafarers and their dependants. And Unison’s “There for You” fund which supports members in need with school uniform grants and winter fuel payments and is helping those in the North West picking up the pieces after flooding. Throughout the week we will be telling the stories of those supported by their union, and asking workers in the North West to Love unions and join unions.”
Alongside this, unions will be raising awareness of the damaging impact of the Trade Union Bill. On Saturday 6th February and Saturday 13tt, unions will be leafleting at Liverpool FC and FC United of Manchester matches respectively. This is to raise awareness of aspects of the bill that will impact on trade union campaigns relating to football.
Lynn Collins, North West TUC, Regional Secretary said; “Trade Unions are more than just workplace organisations. The Trade Union Bill will have a damaging effect to the wider work we do. Take football for example. We’ve pushed FIFA and Qatar to take action on migrant worker deaths, challenged the unfair Kafala system that see’s the restricted from leaving jobs or the country and we’ve raised concerns about worker safety, often housed in squalid conditions. We’ve pushed for, and supported campaigns for, a Living Wage at football clubs. We support the work of Show Racism the Red Card in using football to tackle racism and we give platforms to those who speak out against injustice, including to campaigners following the Hillsborough Disaster. If the Bill passes, trade union funding for campaigns will be affected and our worry is that it will have an impact on this wider work we do.”
The Trade Union Bill campaign continues for unions after many Lords spoke out against elements of it during the Second Reading. The North West TUC says that given trade unionists are trusted twice as much by the general public than politicians (IPSOS Mori), then changes they are calling for such as e-balloting and protecting facilities for trade union reps should be implemented.
Latest figures from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) figures show trade union membership in the region remains strong, with 29.1% of workers members of trade unions (806,000). In Greater Manchester, the rate is higher at 30.9% with Merseyside higher still at 33.2%, making the region a stronghold in trade union membership across England (only the North West and Yorkshire is higher).
