TRADE unions must hold Labour’s “feet to the fire,” TUC president Matt Wrack told the union body’s women’s conference in London today.

Opening the three-day conference, the leader of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) highlighted the upcoming general election and reflected on the past 15 years of Tory austerity.

He said: “[We have faced] an unprecedented period of attack on wages and conditions and public services from this government in its different forms.

“[We have faced] attacks on our pensions, and a public sector pay freeze has gone on for longer than we've seen in recent modern history, [and] attacks on our trade union rights, most recently the [minimum service levels] Act.

“We’ve been promised by the Labour leadership that they will repeal the legislation within 100 days of taking office.

“And our job as a movement is to hold their feet to the fire. We need to make sure they deliver on promises.”

Mr Wrack also addressed the issues of sexual harassment and misconduct within trade unions, saying it “brings shame on our movement and we have to face up to that.”

He also sent a message of solidarity with women in Palestine facing “the most horrendous situations.”