Press releases

LRC welcomes TUC backing for People’s Charter

17th September 2009

The TUC has today voted overwhelmingly to support The People’s Charter* which calls for higher taxes on the wealthiest and companies, investment in new jobs, building new council housing, the renationalisation of key industries, troops to be brought home from Afghanistan, and a range of other progressive policies.

The motion was moved by the RMT, and amended by the Unite union to call for the policies of The People’s Charter to be fought for in the Labour Party too. The LRC supports the People’s Charter, and welcomed the commitment of the TUC to fight for The People’s Charter in the Labour Party.

John McDonnell MP, LRC Chair, said:

“The policies of the People’s Charter are the long held policies of every trade union and progressive campaigner in the UK.

“The LRC has long been fighting for these policies - to meet the needs of our people - and we look forward to working with our union allies to ensure Labour stands a fighting chance at the next election.”

Susan Press, LRC vice chair, said:

“The aims of the People’s Charter, a fair economy, full employment, decent housing, pensions and public services, and a sustainable future with an end to war and nuclear weapons, echo the founding principles of the labour and trade union movement . They are the very heart of socialism.

“They must be supported and campaigned for by Labour Party and trade union activists if we are to avoid the   disaster that will be a Tory Government.

“It is a seriously positive and welcome step that the TUC Congress has made in uniting around the People’s Charter and it’s now our job to go out unto our workplaces and communities to get as much support as we can for its progressive policies, which put people before profit, and which could still win us the General Election.”

-Ends-

For more information on the People’s Charter, see: http://www.thepeoplescharter.com/

The RMT union, which moved the resolution, is affiliated to the LRC

The Resolution with the amendment passed reads:

32 People’s Charter
Congress agrees to support the People’s Charter, which sets out a programme for challenging the economic crisis and for a fairer society including:
i) a fair economy: taking leading banking, insurance and mortgage industries into public ownership; ending raids on pension funds, asset-stripping and corporate tax loopholes; restructuring tax so big business and the wealthy pay more
ii) more and better jobs: building full employment, protecting existing jobs and investing to create new jobs with decent pay; raising the minimum wage and ending the lower rate for young workers
iii) decent homes: stopping repossessions, controlling rents, giving local government the power and funds to build and renovate millions of affordable quality homes and buy empty properties
iv) saving and improving our services: ensuring energy, transport, water, post and telecommunications are in public ownership; ending profiteering in public services; stopping EU privatisation directives
v) fairness and justice: free heating and transport for every pensioner; linking state pensions and benefits to average earnings; protecting pension schemes; ending child poverty; enforcing equal pay for women; ending racism and discrimination; no scapegoating migrant workers; guaranteeing training, apprenticeships and education with grants and no fees; restoring trade union rights
vi) a secure and sustainable future: ending the cost of war and nuclear weapons; bringing our troops home; getting rid of the debt economy and cancelling the debts of the poor of the planet.
Congress agrees to build support for the Charter in workplaces and communities to assist in achieving a million UK signatures to demonstrate that the Government must put people first.
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers

Amendment
Delete final paragraph and replace with:
‘Congress agrees to build support for the principles outlined in the Charter in workplaces and communities to help promote progressive policies in the Labour Party and to assist in achieving a million UK signatures to demonstrate that the Government must put people first.’
Unite

 

 

Tags: the people's charter (9)