By | 2 min
We asked each Labour leadership candidate to write for the blog, here is Diane Abbott's contribution:
Labour has long been the party of the trade union movement. At one time, trade unions would be the breeding ground of tomorrow’s politicians. Sadly, that is no longer the case and in my opinion our politics is the poorer for that.
The relationship between Labour and the trade unions has soured somewhat over the years. As Labour leader, I would seek to renew this relationship. Having worked as a trade union official myself, serving as full-time Equality Officer in 1986 for ACTT (film technicians union), I know the importance of the right to strike.
I want to make it unlawful to strike down an otherwise lawful ballot because of unintentional technical breaches of the regulations which would not have altered the outcome of the ballot. I would also change the law to stop employers taking vexatious injunctions.
We also need to address the issue of a living wage, instead of a minimum wage. Working hard should mean being able to provide for your family and lead a decent standard of living – not living on the breadline. Implementing a living wage doesn't only benefit the employees. It improves staff loyalty and boosts morale, and therefore productivity. It also reduces training and recruitment costs, which is overall better value for money for employers.
As a party, we need to lead by example and introduce legislation to ensure that government tenders are not able to be taken up by contractors who are not prepared to pay a living wage to their staff.
Labour has always had these values. My father worked as a sheet metal worker and worked hard, but was able to provide for my mother and buy the odd treat for me and my brother at the end of the week.
Our relationship with trade unions is one that the Labour Party should nurture, and neglect at our peril.
