TUC agrees to launch social media taskforce to take on far-right online
Trade unionists are gathering in Brighton this week for the annual Trades Union Congress
Trade unionists are gathering in Brighton this week for the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Today (13 September), delegates debated a number of motions on how the trade union movement should respond to the rise of the far-right.
As part of this, delegates agreed to a motion which will see the TUC support trade union members to take on far-right narratives in digital spaces.
The motion read: “There is a growing rise in far-right parties using social media to influence supporters”, and argued that the trade union movement should be “engaging with those audiences by addressing cultural concerns rather than relying on ideological labels.”
The motion went on to say: “Far right groups have tapped into cultural grievances and economic anxieties, gaining traction across much of the Western world through algorithmic reach and large volumes of authentic short form content. In contrast, official union and left of centre channels struggle to match the scale and speed of this output.”
By passing the motion, the TUC has committed to: “educate activists in effective, respectful online engagement that focuses on cultural issues and avoids alienating labels” and “establish a social media task force to support activists, helping them use digital tools confidently and stay consistent in messaging”.
The motion was proposed by the TUC Black Workers Conference.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
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