The first follow-up meeting to the successful ‘Trade Unionists for a New Party’ campaign launch on July 21st was held last week for members of Unite the Union.

Over 220 Unite activists attended a ‘Unite for a New Party’ call to discuss the details of what needs to be done in this currently Labour-affiliated union to make sure that it can be at the heart of the new anti-austerity and anti-war party that is in the process of being formed.

The meeting opened with a video message of support from Jeremy Corbyn, stressing the importance of trade unionists in realising his and Zarah Sultana’s recent call (at www.yourparty.uk) for a “new kind of political party”. 

The next speakers, present in a personal capacity, were the Unite Executive Council member Suz Muna and the Unite convenor of Birmingham Labour Council’s Waste and Environmental Services workers, Matt Reid.

Suz explained the historic decision made at the Unite policy conference in July for the union to “discuss our relationship with Labour”, after the council announced the effective fire-and-rehire of refuse workers striking against pay cuts of up to £8,000 a year, with Matt reporting on the latest developments ‘from the frontline’.  The meeting pledged its continued solidarity with the bin workers in this defining struggle.

Donations to the Birmingham bin workers - especially welcomed from union branches - can be made at the Unity Trust bank for the Unite WM/7186 branch:
Sort code: 608301
Account: 20308397
Please reference it as 'BCC strike donation'.

Debating tactics
Discussion then turned to the details of what needs to be argued for in a union that at this point is still affiliated to Labour, centred around a model motion for union branches that had been circulated in the meeting’s calling notice (see below for the text).

There was general agreement with the tactics proposed, with arguments made illustrating some of the different issues involved.  For example, Dave Reid from Cardiff Trades Council, and an officer of Cardiff General Unite branch, reported on the trades council’s initiative, now supported by three others in Wales, to convene a conference in October to discuss how unions can ensure there is a workers’ voice in the 2026 Welsh Senedd elections. 

But because it has been posed as a discussion, he explained, in line with the Unite conference decision – and with a speaker invited from Labour to debate how workers can be politically represented (let’s see if they turn up!) – there is no constitutional bar to Unite branches sending delegates even under the current rules.

But there was debate too about the tactics proposed.  Phil Smart, the branch secretary of Unite WM6070, asked why, with the union’s objects including “to have a strong political voice fighting on behalf of working peoples’ interests… so as to promote a socialist vision” (Rule 2.1.4), the Executive Council couldn’t use its powers under Rule 13.6 “to amend the rules between Rules Conferences” itself as Starmer’s Labour was so obviously not delivering? 

Other speakers accepted that such a move was possible.  However, given the requirement that 75% of the Executive Council would have to agree, they argued that a membership campaign which gathered such support to compel the EC to take this step could also achieve the convening of special policy and rules conferences, which would result in a more deeply-rooted and long-lasting change in the union’s political strategy. 

The main task though, everybody agreed, was to take the arguments to every corner of the union.  And in that light, with the next Executive Council being held in October, it was agreed to reconvene the meeting in the autumn to assess progress, with all instances of the model motion being passed in branches and other union committees to be notified to myself at dave@nellist.net

A short video of Suz, Matt and Jeremy’s contributions to the meeting is available at https://youtu.be/XfHQPjdnsG8.

Model motion for Unite branches

This Unite branch welcomes the emergency motion that was passed at the recent Unite Policy Conference in support of the striking Birmingham bin workers.

We support the demand in the motion that “Unite should discuss our relationship with Labour” in response to the brutal attack on our members on the bins by the Labour Birmingham City Council and backed up by Starmer’s government.

We also note the statement by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana calling for a new political party “rooted in our communities, trade unions and social movements”, with over 700,000 people signing up to be kept informed which will include many Unite members and other trade unionists.

Therefore, this Unite branch calls for the Unite Executive Council to:

1. Continue to back those Unite-supported MPs who have so far had the whip removed for opposing New Labour austerity, and others that are similarly disciplined.

2. Launch the discussion at all levels of Unite about our relationship with Labour and the need for a political strategy that supports our members taking political action on the basis of agreed Unite policies.

3. This discussion should lead to the convening of special policy and rules conferences to draw political and organisational conclusions, potentially including the building of a new workers’ party, standing and supporting workers’ candidates, calling for a conference across unions to build a political alternative for workers on a pro-worker, socialist programme

4. Unite should send delegations to meetings and conferences organised by trade unionists on political representation for workers.

And finally,
Other initial follow-up meetings to work out the details of what to do next in each individual union have also been organised, so far for Unison, NEU, GMB, USDAW, PCS, and RMT – full details at https://linktr.ee/TU4NewParty 

Lastly, if you missed the initial July 21st meeting, you can watch the full video at https://youtu.be/fTTmB-itr4U?si=CS3s5DEUioGeUzUg

In solidarity, Dave Nellist