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Sir Keir Starmer has been warned by trade union leaders that a Labour government could face strike action later this year if it does not increase civil servant pay.
Trades Union Congress (TUC) president Matt Wrack said he recognised the “financial constraints” facing a new Labour government but warned “something needs to be done” about civil servant pay amid the cost of living crisis.
He also urged Starmer not to “back off” Labour’s commitments to improve workers’ rights, and suggested there had been discussions with the leadership about how “substantial” proposals should be in the party’s election manifesto, ahead of an emergency meeting on Friday between the party and trade unions to agree a policy paper.
Mr Lack made the comments after Mr Starmer was pressed to explain how he would resolve the strike by junior NHS doctors during Tuesday night’s ITV election debate.
Asked by journalists whether further strikes were likely under a Labour government because of Labour’s plans to repeal some of the Conservative government’s anti-strike laws and whether there could be another wave of industrial action over the winter, Lack stressed that his experience with the firefighters’ union showed that collective bargaining could lead to settlements between unions and employers without strikes, citing an agreement reached this year as an example.
But he added: “The new Labour government must take into account the fact that people have struggled for 14 years, particularly against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis.”
“And we have to do something to address this issue within people’s paychecks.
“I understand they will have financial constraints and so on, but something will have to be done about that.
“Otherwise, we may see people engaging in further labor disputes.”
Mr Luck also set out a landmark ahead of Friday’s crucial Article 5 conference to approve Labour’s manifesto, where the shadow cabinet, Labour parliament, national policy forum, trade unionists and the national executive committee will agree the party’s policy proposals to voters.
The trade union leader said Labour’s commitment to workers’ rights “must not be relaxed one bit” amid long-standing fears the bill could be watered down under pressure from big business, and stressed “this is not a fallout with Keir Starmer”.
He said unions would hold Labour to account on its promise to start legislating safeguards within the first 100 days, and suggested there were lively discussions taking place behind the scenes about how clear the policy should be in the manifesto.
“Policymakers at the leadership level may argue that it should be as concise as possible, and some of us may argue that it should be more substantial, but that’s a discussion that’s run through those organizations.”
“And make no mistake, we want to hold the new Labour government to account for the contents of its manifesto.
“But let’s be clear: they have been committed to this new deal for over a year now, and this has been explicitly acknowledged at the TUC conference not only by their leader, Angela Rayner, but also by Keir Starmer himself.”
“I don’t expect him to repeal it. This is a vote-winner and will vastly improve the lives of millions of people.”
Mr Lack also dismissed Conservative attacks that the bill amounted to a “French-style trade union law” as a “silly slogan” and said some workers wanted more militant action but stressed he did not support it.
“Frankly, I think this is a stupid statement coming from them. [the Tories].
“Actually, it’s interesting, and I’m not advocating that kind of labor-management relationship, but I’ve sometimes heard workers here say that they should be a bit more French.
“If we protested sooner, we might get more results.”
“But I’m not advocating that.
“But I just think it’s a stupid thing to say.”
2024 Election
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer will return to the campaign trail, taking part in the first ever head-to-head leaders’ debate on ITV on Tuesday night. I‘s general election live blog is your go-to place for 2024 general election coverage.
The Conservatives have announced their proposals to reform gender law, but attention has been drawn to Nigel Farage’s shock move to run for Parliament and become leader of Reform UK. Shortly after the announcement, the Conservatives revealed their proposals for a new immigration cap.
On immigration, Labour has said it is ready to accept asylum seekers from overseas. In London, former party leader Jeremy Corbyn, now standing as an independent, is fighting to keep supporters behind Starmer.
Have a question for our politics experts? Email us at polsquestions@inews.co.uk or tweet us. translation: Jane Merrick or Hugo Gay may respond during the first live readers’ debate.