Setting the post-Brexit agenda

Delegates unanimously adopted two resolutions pledging to put the defence, protection and advance of workers’ rights “at the heart of” the settlement that we reach on our departure from the European Union.

Moving the first motion on behalf of Greater London Combined Branch, Will Murray told conference: “We have an obligation to ensure workers do not pay the price of Brexit.”

A Tory Brexit, he continued, would mean rampant pay inequality and the UK becoming an offshore tax haven, he warned, adding that the CWU and the labour movement as a whole needed to mobilise to prevent this “Tory vision.”

The motion commits the union to agreeing with the retention of tariff-free access to the EU single market, but with the proviso that “this should not be allowed to drive down labour costs and lead to the exploitation of workers” and roundly condemns “divide and rule tactics” such as “blaming immigrants” for society’s problems.

Regional secretaries Kevin Beazer (south west) and Ian Murphy (London) also spoke for the motion, with Ian insisting: “We must organise to resist any attempt to take away our rights” and Kevin making the point that “workers must not be scapegoated.”

In his contribution, London 7 Branch delegate Phil Waker strongly backed the proposition and said that the CWU and wider labour movement “now have to prepare for a workers’ agenda for coming out.”

And Phil suggested that, if tariff-free access is denied, then we should respond by putting tariffs on and using this to support our industries.

Brian Rochester, from Coventry Branch, stressed that “we need to make sure workers’ interests are represented in the Brexit talks” and he also noted that the meanings of words seems to have changed, saying: “Slave-driving is called ‘performance management’ and fascism is called ‘populism’.”

And Midland 7 Branch delegate Andrew Hickerman insisted: “We’ve got to make sure we vote for workers’ rights in the coming election.”

In another motion later in the morning, Liverpool Clerical Branch delegate Brian Kenny made clear that “the vote to leave was not a vote to roll back hard-won rights we fought for years to achieve.”

This proposition commits the CWU to “campaign for any Brexit settlement to include full protection of jobs and workers and trade union rights.”

Barry O’Hanlon, of London 7 Branch explained that this motion “goes beyond us leaving the EU.

“Let’s forget Brexit. We had a referendum, we’re coming out and the focus must be on protecting workers’ rights,” he added.

Supporting the call on behalf of the NEC, Bill Taylor slammed the Conservatives for having”spent the last six years attacking workers’ rights – from tribunal fees to the TU Act.

“We must do all we can to campaign for a settlement that keeps protections of workers’ rights at its core.”

Acting general secretary Tony Kearns praised the mover of the motions on this subject, saying: “The movers of these motions have got this spot on. Condemning the scapegoating of immigrants and warning of the attack on workers’ rights.

“As the late Tony Benn said: ‘There’s no final victory and no final defeat – just the same battle over and over again and we have to toughen up’.”