TUC president perfectly sums up why trade unionism matters
"Unity gave us weekends. Unity gave us paid holidays. Unity gave us safer workplaces."
Trade unionists from around the country are meeting in Brighton this week for the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Opening the annual Congress – the tagline of which this year is ‘unity works’ – TUC president Steve Gillan gave a rousing speech reminding delegates of the importance of trade unionism and worker unity.
Gillan told the Congress: “Congress, unity works. Two simple words. Perhaps the two most important words our movement has ever lived by.
“Unity gave us weekends. Unity gave us paid holidays. Unity gave us safer workplaces. Unity gave us equal pay. Unity gave us maternity rights […] Unity gave us dignity.
“Every victory this movement has ever won has begun with ordinary people deciding that they would stand together instead of standing alone. Unity has always worked and always will do.”
Alongside serving as TUC president, Gillan is the general secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association.
Delegates at TUC will this year be debating and deciding how the trade union movement should respond to the far right, what economic demands it wants to make of Andy Burnham’s government, and how the labour movement can address the challenges posed by artifcial intelligence.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
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