Frontline key workers put partying PM and greedy bosses to shame
Union Matters April 24 2022
Day One of Conference 2022 opens with warm praise for CWU members who kept the country connected throughout the pandemic and a moving tribute to those we lost…
“While the PM was partying, our members were rolling up their sleeves and keeping the country going,” said outgoing CWU president Karen Rose as she opened Annual Conference 2022 in Bournemouth this morning.
“It’s absolutely fantastic to stand here and address you this morning at our first face-to-face Annual Conference for three years,” said Karen, who recalled how preparations for the 2020 conference had been abruptly halted when the Covid pandemic broke out.
“We faced unprecedented challenges – and we lost love ones,” she continued and then looked ahead to the struggles the union is facing in the months ahead, when members will be “taking on employers and the Government and fighting for a New Deal for Workers.
“You are all formidable opponents and I hope you’re as proud of yourselves as we are of you,” Karen concluded.
Karen has served as CWU president from 2020 and steps aside now for Jane Loftus, who will preside for the next two years. And in her welcoming speech, Jane pointed out that the pandemic had shown everybody who it is that does the vital work in this country.
Every Annual Conference opens with a minute’s silence for members who have died over the past year, and introducing this tribute, Jane said: “I’m a bit emotional about this. We’ve lost colleagues, family and friends” and suggested a different way for this year.
“I don’t want to do a minute’s silence. I’d like us to give a minute’s round of applause,” she proposed – and every delegate in the hall stood and loudly applauded in a particularly moving gesture of respect to all those we have lost.
Dave Ward: ‘You’ve shown incredible resilience and loyalty – you deserve decent pay deals’
Despite having tested positive for Covid, and having to give his traditional address via video link, our general secretary inspired and enthused delegates with a determined fighting speech…
Dave began by promising that “I’ll try my best to get to Bournemouth as soon as I test negative” and then focused immediately on the overall situation in the UK today, which he characterised as “an extraordinary period.
“As key workers in the postal and telecoms sectors and financial services, CWU members have done a fantastic job keeping services going, keeping the economy going and keeping our country connected,” he said, referring to the “incredible resilience and loyalty” and “huge personal sacrifices” members had made “staying at work and being out in the streets through all the lockdowns.”
He then contrasted the dedication and exceptional efforts made by frontline workers with the current attitudes of employers in the businesses our members work in, saying: “Against this background, you’d have thought employers would come to the table with fair pay settlements.
“Let’s remember, while our members were making huge sacrifices, these companies were making huge profits.”
With a huge YES vote for strike action already having been returned in Post Office Limited – and action starting on 3rd May – and a strong likelihood of a strike ballot being called in BT/Openreach, and a potential pay dispute in Royal Mail, Dave stressed that the whole union will support and be fully behind these struggles.
“My message is very simple,” said our general secretary. “This is a moment when we have to fight for the pay awards our members deserve.”
Dave continued: “We’re at a point now when people can stand up together and say: ‘Enough is enough’,” something which, he explained, applies to wider society as well as within the CWU and the companies our members work for.
In terms of the wider societal struggle, our general secretary set out the key components to the union’s strategy, which centres on the themes of building collectivism, bringing the whole trade union movement together, embedding unions within communities and community wealth building.
Dave ended with a rousing call for everyone to support and build for the big TUC New Deal for Workers rally planned for 18th June.