The national centre held its 147th congress in Brighton last week. In her opening speech TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady called the right to strike: “The last line of defence against those bosses who ignore or exploit staff.”
The remarks come in the wake of further support from UK parliament for the trade union bill that, if passed, would make it almost impossible for unions to take industrial action. ITF affiliates in the UK have strongly condemned the bill and are supporting the TUC in opposing the direct attack on a fundamental human right.
Following a worldwide trade union campaign the right to strike was re-affirmed at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva earlier this year.
ITF general secretary Steve Cotton said: “Even as we were celebrating that victory in March we were calling for vigilance because attacks on the right to strike at national level continue-just as we’re seeing in the UK at the moment.
“The right to strike is crucial to working men and women and their ability to fight back against employers when they’re left with no other option. Defending that right it is going to take action from us, collectively and consistently. What’s going on in the UK right now just highlights that.”
Find out what UK ITF unions are saying about the bill here, here and here.
Get involved in the ITF campaign to protect the right to strike. Go to: www.right2strike.org
The new leader of the UK Labour party Jeremy Corbyn addressed delegates at the TUC congress calling for global solidarity among trade unionists to fight to protect values of compassion and social justice.
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