TUC Congress 2017: UK Unions to Vote on Public Ownership of Energy, Climate Crisis

By staff - Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, August 25, 2017

The annual conference of the 5.7 million member TUC will take place on September 10-13, 2017 in Brighton.  The Bakers and Allied Food Workers Union (BAFWU) has submitted a resolution that calls on the TUC to “work with the Labour Party and others that advocate for an end to the UK’s rigged energy system to bring it back into public ownership and democratic control.”  Amendments to the resolution have been submitted by the Communication Workers Union,  Fire Brigades Union, the train drivers union ASLEF, and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association. 

Resolution 10

Congress notes the irrefutable evidence that dangerous climate change is driving unprecedented changes to our environment such as the devastating flooding witnessed in the UK in 2004.

Congress further notes the risk to meeting the challenge of climate change with the announcement of Donald Trump to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Agreement. Similarly, Brexit negotiations and incoherent UK government policy risk undermining measures to achieve the UK carbon reduction targets.

Congress welcomes the report by the Transnational Institute Reclaiming Public Services: how cities and citizens are turning back privatization, which details the global trend to remunicipalise public services including energy.

Congress believes that to combat climate change effectively and move towards a low-carbon economy we cannot leave this to the markets and therefore need a strong role for the public sector in driving the measures needed to undertake this transition.

To this end, Congress calls on the TUC to:

1. work with the Labour Party and others that advocate for an end to the UK’s rigged energy system to bring it back into public ownership and democratic control
2. advocate for a mass programme of retrofit and insulation of Britain’s homes and public bui
3. lobby to demand rights for workplace environmental reps
4. lobby for the establishment of a Just Transition strategy and practical steps needed to achieve this as integral to industrial strategy.

Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union

AMENDMENTS

CWU – Add sub-paragraphs v. and vi. at end: “v. consult with all affiliates to seek input into the development of a cross-sector industrial strategy that works towards delivering internationally agreed carbon emission reduction targets “vi. develop a “just transition” programme for those workers affected by the industrial changes necessary to develop a more environmentally sustainable future for all.” Communication Workers Union

FBU • Add at end of paragraph 4: “Congress supports efforts by unions internationally to raise issues such as public ownership and democratic control as part of solutions to climate change.” Fire Brigades Union

ASLEF • At end of paragraph 3, add new sentence: “Congress notes that transport is responsible for a quarter of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions and believes that a reduction in carbon dioxide levels must be the basis of the UK’s future transport policy in addition to building public transport capacity and moving more freight from road to rail.” ASLEF

TSSA • Insert new paragraph 5: “Congress agrees that immediate action has to be taken to shift from fossil fuel energy to renewables and notes that pension schemes invest billions of pounds into fossil fuel corporations.” • Add at end of motion sub-paragraph v.: “v. investigate the long-term risks for pension funds investing in fossil fuels, promote divestment, and alternative reinvestment in the sustainable economy.” TSSA

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.