UNIONS must recognise the “failure of environmental policy” that led to the 2,500 job losses confirmed at the Port Talbot steelworks, GMB general secretary Andy Smith told TUC Congress today.

He urged unions to have the “the courage to talk about this” or the far right “will take up the cudgels,” as delegates sent solidarity to the south Wales workers as they passed a climate change motion.

Mr Smith said GMB would abstain “to find a space and a time for reflection for an honest and sober debate about these complex issues.”

Congress resolved to call on government to set up just transition commissions for every British nation as part of its net-zero plans, and a guaranteed right for those who lose their jobs due to decarbonisation to be given government-proposed green jobs with no loss of pay.

Moving, Unison delegate Dawn Wainwright said: “We cannot put off action until it’s more convenient or there’s a perfect plan.”

Public and Commerical Services union delegate John Moloney said the Civil Service can produce an “income support system for all affected workers in this country.”

TUC general council member Sue Ferns backed the motion, with a reservation that any transition plans are developed in advance of decisions made that impact jobs on energy intensive industries.

Unite supported the reservation but Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy said his union would abstain over the lack of clarity in the wording of some of the measures, including calling for the public ownership of broadband and “mandatory environmental impact assessments on all proposals and decisions.”

University and College Union general secretary Jo Grady said defence workers should not “be the victims of government failure,” but that funds should not go towards war.