Statement made to the UNISON Labour Link National Forum

Statement made to the UNISON Labour Link National Forum, held in York on Friday 8 July 2022, by the Chair of the UNISON National Labour Link Committee, Linda Hobson.

Strike action is a necessary and critical aspect of trade union activity. Many of you in this room, like me, have taken strike action in the past to defend your rights, your pay and your jobs. As a union we are proud of the UNISON members who take strike action and stand in solidarity with workers who are forced to take strike action within our sister unions. In recent weeks, we have stood in solidarity with the RMT as their members fight for decent pay and to protect their jobs.

It was therefore a matter of real concern and disappointment to see that the Labour leadership instructed Labour frontbenchers not to stand on RMT picket lines. Showing solidarity for workers in struggle should never be something that Labour politicians are stopped from doing and no-one should face disciplinary action for doing so.

We are glad that so far common sense has prevailed on that score. Any attempt to punish any MP for supporting striking workers would be a grave mistake. I want to assure Forum that in the recent weeks UNISON has used every channel and every opportunity at our disposal to privately convey our anger at their actions on the RMT strikes and have worked through TULO, with colleagues from other affiliated unions to hold the party to account for their actions.

As Chair I want to assure the Forum that we will continue to stand with striking workers and we will continue to push back against anyone in the Labour Party who attempts to curb the right of elected representatives to stand with those in dispute.