Skip to main content
Gifts from The Morning Star
This May Day, let’s get ready to fight anti-union laws
TUC general secretary PAUL NOWAK argues that our reinvigorated workers’ movement must now confront the coming anti-strike legislation head on
READY FOR THE FIGHTBACK: Paul Nowak addresses a rally against the Tories' Minimum Service Levels Bill, February 2023

MAY DAY is a unique occasion in our calendar. It is when we celebrate the bonds that unite workers and trade unionists across the world; when we reflect on our shared values of equality, justice and solidarity; and when we remember the huge advances won by the collective struggles of working people.

And this year, May Day has a special resonance. The cost-of-living crisis shows few signs of easing. Food prices are now rising at almost 20 per cent, hitting the poorest hardest. And across the economy, in both private and public sectors, hundreds of thousands of workers are striking for fair pay.

I have been proud to visit scores of picket lines, meeting inspirational reps and workers, many on strike for the first time. Unions don’t accept we have to become poorer.

In the public sector, the government is refusing to deliver decent pay rises for the workers it lauded as heroes during the pandemic. Ministers had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the negotiating table following industrial action by health and education unions. But they are still failing to negotiate in the Civil Service — and the TUC will resist any attempts to play one group of workers against another.

Meanwhile, in the private sector, unions have been winning some impressive deals for their members — and a special mention here to workers at Amazon in Coventry, who have been taking historic strike action for fair pay and union recognition.

But as workers fight for a fair deal, the Conservative government is attacking our right to strike. Their anti-strikes Bill is undemocratic, unworkable and probably unlawful. It makes Britain an international outlier by imposing yet more draconian restrictions and penalties on unions.

Small wonder the legislation has been condemned by employment law experts and, earlier this week, by over 100 politicians worldwide. On Wednesday, Labour, Lib Dem and cross-bench peers in the House of Lords defeated the government four times on the Bill.

That’s why the TUC has called an emergency “reject and repeal” protest outside Parliament to coincide with the final Commons votes on the Bill. We can’t be sure about exact dates just yet, but it’s likely to be sometime in mid-May — full details will be posted on our website as soon as possible.

This is a big opportunity for us to put our concerns firmly in the political, media and public spotlight.

As working families struggle to stay afloat, those at the top are raking it in. Chief executives continue to trouser massive pay packages. Shareholder dividends have gone up three times faster than wages, and bankers in the City of London have just enjoyed the biggest bonus round since the crash.

Britain is increasingly unequal: as hospitals set up food banks to feed their own staff, Porsche dealers report record sales.

Instead of all this, we need an economy that rewards work, not wealth. The TUC is demanding fair taxes, including a proper windfall tax on obscene energy profits. We want a £15 minimum wage, better pensions and a boost to universal credit — and we want stronger collective bargaining rights for unions, so we can win fair pay for all and ensure the gains of tech change and AI are shared fairly.

We are also campaigning for political change and the election of a new government on a worker and union-friendly manifesto. But whatever happens, we must rebuild our collective strength, advancing our membership and organisation right across the economy.

My overwhelming priority remains to build a stronger, more diverse, and more inclusive movement. Whether it’s fighting racism, rooting out sexual harassment or resisting the government’s spiteful Illegal Migration Bill, there’s plenty we can do.

This May Day, let’s resolve to fight for all working people, in all our wonderful diversity. Ultimately, that’s the best way to win the change we need. Have a great May Day — solidarity to all.

Follow Paul on Twitter @nowak_paul.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
Sir Keir Starmer holds a Labour pledge card while speaking a
Features / 31 May 2024
31 May 2024
After 14 years of the Tories, there’s a real prize for working people to be won. And trade unions are a vital part of the picture in rebuilding Britain’s future, says TUC leader PAUL NOWAK
Features / 13 February 2023
13 February 2023
The annual celebration of all that trade unions do for us comes at a time when we have real reasons to be optimistic about the recent growth of our movement, writes PAUL NOWAK
TUC deputy general secretary Paul Nowak
Features / 9 July 2020
9 July 2020
Unions have risen to the challenge of the coronavirus, from saving jobs to keeping those jobs safe — it is no wonder our membership is growing rapidly too, writes PAUL NOWAK
Similar stories
WE WILL BE HEARD: Convenor for GMB Scotland Chris Mitchell s
Features / 22 March 2025
22 March 2025
The Employment Rights Bill is a vital opportunity to rebalance power between workers and employers. As it passes to the Lords, pressure must be brought to bear to strengthen this key legislation, argues ANDY McDONALD MP
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with French President Emmanu
Features / 7 March 2025
7 March 2025
CARLOS MARTINEZ condemns Europe’s failure to develop genuine autonomy from US hegemony, as leaders like Starmer and Macron cling to a declining imperial order rather than building good relations with the emerging powers
Taklimakan desert workers
Features / 28 December 2024
28 December 2024
Chinese socialist planning and action over decades have created the world’s greatest reforestation programme, writes CARLOS MARTINEZ, and now its lessons in fighting desertification and climate change are taking root worldwide
TUC Congress 2024 / 10 September 2024
10 September 2024
Speaking to Elizabeth Short, SARAH WOOLLEY explains her union’s push for anonymous harassment reporting, an end to NDAs that protect abusive managers in food giants like McDonald’s — and why climate change is a baker’s issue