PAUL NOWAK set out three priorities for the trade union movement at the TUC women’s conference in Bournemouth yesterday.

The first is “making sure that Labour delivers its promise to make work pay,” said the TUC general secretary, hailing the Employment Rights Act as a “historic victory.”

He added: “Our job now is to make sure that the government implements that legislation on time, in full and in the right spirit.

“That’s what will get more money into people’s pockets and ensure people feel the benefits in their everyday lives.”

Mr Nowak urged the government to resist business pressure to water down the legislation, noting that action on zero-hours contracts will mean “over 650,000 women benefiting from guaranteeing hours.”

The second priority is ensuring the government “delivers the change they promised the British public 18 months ago” during the 2024 general election campaign, he said.

“As the by-election [in Gordon and Denton] shows, working-class people in this country are desperate for a better life and real change,” Mr Nowak stressed.

“We need more from this government to get wages rising, especially for those on low and middle incomes. We need more investments in our public services and fair pay for public-sector workers.

“And we need a fair taxation system in this country, where we tax wealth and not workers. Let’s do something to eliminate the gender pay gap that sees women working for free for 47 days every single year.

“My simple message to ministers, from the Prime Minister down [through] Labour: it is time to deliver the change you promised the British people.”

He said the final priority was to deliver change for workers so that they aren’t tempted to support the far right.

Mr Nowak warned that Reform UK would “scrap the Equality Act” and “legalise discrimination against women, against black workers, disabled workers, LGBT+ workers and others.

“Attacks on women’s rights, on feminism, on reproductive rights—they’re all part of their DNA,” he said.

“I refuse to believe that the majority of decent, fair-minded people in this country can’t be won to a message of hope rather than a message of division.

“Let’s deliver the change that working people desperately need, and let’s win a better future for women and for all working people.”