Tom Hayes

Oxford Mail:

Labour city councillor for St Clement’s

Put simply, trade unions matter. If we want Oxford and the wider country to be a fairer, wealthier, and happier place to live and work, we need a strong trade union movement.

MPs are considering a Bill in Parliament which is the biggest crackdown on worker and trade union rights for 30 years. If this Bill passes, the right to strike, picket, and protest – so long a cornerstone of our democracy – will be under threat.

The Bill proposes to double the number of days required for strike notice from seven today to 14. Employers will have more time to bring in agency workers to cover strikes. Not only will this reduce the impact of strike action, but it raises the possibility of poorer quality services if they’re provided by inexperienced agency workers.

Unions would have to appoint picket supervisors which the police or ‘any person who reasonably asks’ could demand to see the documentation for. The supervisor would have to wear an armband or badge to be identifiable. The fine for not wearing an armband is £20,000.

Excessive monitoring has one goal: to make it harder for free people in Oxford and around the country to defend their rights.

The Government propose to significantly raise the threshold for strikes to take place. Fifty per cent of members must turn out to vote and 40 per cent of the membership must be supportive. The goal, apparently, is to open up unions. But if the Bill is really about opening up unions, why aren’t the Government lifting the ban on unions balloting online?

Along with many Oxford residents, I’m severely worried that this Bill has been conceived as an attack on the basic rights of workers and the most vulnerable. I’m a proud trade unionist and I don’t want to see a movement that has achieved so much for Oxford and our country fade away.

I’ve recently had chats with care workers living in my ward. Their concerns were many in number, but top of them was their low pay. They’re not paid for travel time or costs, which means they’re paid less than the minimum wage in effect.

But, this concern isn’t merely about their struggles to pay unaffordable food costs or rent, important as these are to them in such an expensive city. Their concern was about how their illegally low pay and zero-hour contracts harms their ability to support vulnerable people.

For care workers such as these, it feels tough and lonely to be going into the homes of vulnerable people. Knowing that you’re part of a wider movement can make a big difference. Knowing that local unions such as Unison are campaigning hard on issues that matter helps these care workers to go on doing a vital job in tough circumstances. And, knowing that you’re part of that bigger movement, fighting for what’s right and supporting the vulnerable, is hugely empowering.

Here in Oxford, the trade union movement is an essential part of civic life.

Our city has a brilliant tradition of parading and marching, protesting and demonstrating. When I think about some of the city’s demonstrations I’ve taken part in over the last year – from the recent ‘Refugee Welcome’ to Oxford Pride to uniting against fascism and racism – the trade union movement has been at the forefront.

Time and again, Oxford branches of unions such as Unite have stood up against the scapegoating of powerless or minority groups, from our public sector workers through low income households to immigrants and refugees.

There’s so much that we can all do to stop this clampdown. If you’re not yet a member, you could join a union today. If you are a union member, you could get even more involved.

Please sign online petitions and ask your MPs to vote the right way on this. And, please support the vulnerable and lowest paid in Oxford by standing with the trade union movement for them, as it always has.