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Hear the voice of union builders
MARTIN SMITH says unions must be proactive if Labour's promises are to be turned into tangible gains for workers
GMB amazon

I RECENTLY received a very large box from Amazon. When I tore it open it was just a small set of paintbrushes which I had forgotten I had ordered. The rest was just packing paper.

The letdown and feeling of being slightly mocked, if not conned, reminded me of how union builders felt in 1999, when we finally got to open up the big shiny gift box containing the New Labour Employment Bill, only to find quite small changes largely unenforceable

Since the election in July we have been bombarded with repeat announcements that government still intends to end the Minimum Service Levels Act, improve access to workplaces for unions, end fire and rehire, grant a right to disconnect and so on as set out in the New Deal for Working People. 

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