- Conference
- 2002 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 22 February 2002
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
This Conference believes that the right to take effective industrial action in defence of decent wages and service conditions, and without the threat of dismissal, has been steadily eroded over the last two decades, and that recent changes to the law made by the Labour Government have done little to improve that situation.
This Conference notes that:
1)Britain’s trade union laws continue to be in breach of the international human rights laws which Britain has ratified – as shown most recently by the Council of Europe’s Survey of the Implementation of the European Social Charter published in January 2002 and the Report of the Committee of Experts of the International Labour Organisation on the Application of its Conventions published in June 2002;
2)The British trade union laws which fall foul of international law were, for the most part, introduced by Tory governments;
3)The present Government has made clear that it will not repeal the anti-union laws which cause Britain to be in breach of international law;
4)The United Campaign to Repeal the Anti-Union Laws is an exclusively trade union organisation dedicated to repeal of the anti-union laws and supported by ASLEF, BFAWU, CATU, CWU, FBU, MSF, NATFHE, NUJ, NUM, PFA, RMT, SPOA, TSSA, UCATT and many regions, branches and trade union councils;
5)The TUC in 2001 resolved to campaign for a Workers’ Charter;
6)The Institute of Employment Rights is drawing together proposals for such a Workers’ Charter;
7)Only a massive campaign around a Workers’ Charter in line with the international laws ratified by Britain can achieve the repeal of the anti union laws and achieve for British workers the fundamental rights enjoyed by their colleagues elsewhere in Europe.
This Conference resolves to:
a)Affiliate to the United Campaign to Repeal the Anti-Union Laws;
b)Support the Institute of Employment Rights in its efforts to formulate a Workers’ Charter;
c)Encourage the TUC in its campaigning on a Workers’ Charter.