REFORMING the TUC to strengthen it and bring better change for working-class people was agreed by unions yesterday.

CWU general secretary Dave Ward insisted that the TUC’s affiliated unions need to harness their collective strength to organise more effectively across the modern economy.

Delegates at TUC Congress in Brighton agreed that a joint working group, reporting to the general council by April next year, will bring forward proposals for stronger democratic governance.

This will include structures that facilitate greater collaboration between trade unions across sectors.

Unions also agreed to reignite the New Deal for Workers campaign to bring about a fresh social and economic settlement for workers.

This includes fighting for further legislation to introduce sectoral collective bargaining across the economy, establishing a single status of worker, and delivering a new wave of insourcing.

Mr Ward said: “The New Deal for Workers campaign started with the trade union movement.

“There’s some great things in there but, we have to be honest, it hasn’t gone far enough on collective rights.

“We believe the most transformational change we could make is to introduce sectoral bargaining across every single sector within the UK.

“Single status of worker is also crucial. Bogus self-employment is taking place in this country, it’s killing companies like Royal Mail.”

TUC assistant general secretary Kate Bell said that the general council supports the motion and commits to a review of governance, and will bring forward proposals by this December.

But she called for a following motion on bolstering trades councils’ representation at the TUC to be remitted, saying: “Delegates have just now agreed to a review of the governance of the TUC.

“These issues could rightly be debated as part of that review.”

A vociferous Dave Chapple, secretary of the Bridgwater Trades Union Council (TUC) in Somerset, reluctantly agreed to remit.