AS dawn breaks over the Tyne, trade unionists from across the region are making their way to the Northern TUC’s annual delegate conference.

If there was ever a time to reflect on the year unions have had, it is here. A huge and warm welcome to all our delegates, supporters and leaders.

Here in the Northern region, our unions have lobbied the government, negotiated with agencies, employers and, most significantly, have faced attacks from the Tories just for asserting their fundamental, internationally protected, right to strike.

Unions are unique in that they are demonstrating democracy in the face of the current governance climate.

Ballots have shown significant membership support and picket lines have received public support.

The size and scale of the strikes and public demonstrations are so powerful that unions are starting to break deadlocks and win pay deals and revisions to conditions and service provision.

Over the last 12 months, unions and trades councils have held rallies in towns across the region, and thousands of trade unionists have travelled to show solidarity at a national level. All with the same emphasis.

We face government hostility and economics that don’t make sense. Billions in profits for energy companies that have increased prices by 226 per cent in some cases. A cost-of-living crisis that leaves workers having to work more for less and less pay. The cost to households is too high.

A general election may be slowly coming over the horizon, but it could still be almost two years away. And we know that continuing with this Conservative government in place means things will keep deteriorating rapidly — sometimes in a matter of weeks.

Last week, official statistics released by the Department of Work and Pensions showed that the number of people living below the poverty line in working households is 1.5 million higher than in 2010-11.

Here in north-east England 42 per cent of children in working families live in poverty.

Last year unpaid overtime amounted to over £520 million across the region.

If you work hard, you shouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet — but working poverty has skyrocketed under Conservative governments since 2010.

We must congratulate all our unions and members who have fought back now starting to win pay awards that reflect the contribution workers make to service success and profit.

And it’s clear why this in-work poverty has happened: the Conservative approach has been to reward wealth instead of work. Pay and social security have been held down year after year, while the rich get tax breaks and bankers get unlimited bonuses.

It’s at times like this that every worker needs a union. And it’s at times like this that unions fight even harder for workers. And, yes, our unions are fighting: on February 1 over 4,000 workers joined a march and demonstration in Newcastle city centre.

And there is no better place to see the next stage of this fight come alive than at our regional annual conference.

This weekend, over 120 trade unionists will discuss and debate the current challenges faced. With a rich diversity of backgrounds and opinions, we all have one thing in common: a desire to make our workplaces and communities better and fairer for everyone.

Motions include the critical importance of opposing the government’s draconian Minimum Service Levels Bill and protecting the fundamental right to strike.

We will debate the lack of employment rights for parents who go through the devastating loss of a baby pre-24 weeks gestation and what needs to change in order for workers to be supported through such a difficult time.

We will debate the potential to address the midwife recruitment crisis through flexible working.

Our culture sector will be calling for action for all creative and cultural workers to be supported after Covid, and the need to provide great jobs and career pathways.

Of significance is the motion on the state of the region’s public transport system and the potential for devolution to address this through public ownership.

We will discuss the imminent need for government to end the cost-of-living crisis by giving all workers the pay rise they deserve and investing in our public services.

We have motions calling for action around energy security and jobs here in the region, including difficult debates around nuclear fuel. Motions will also call for support for refugees, our pensions and pay, and investment to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

The TUC’s general secretary Paul Nowak will address the conference to talk about priorities for the TUC over the next 12 months, including diversifying our movement, getting wages rising, tackling the cost-of-living crisis, and defending rights at work and the right to strike.

We will also recognise the importance of our union reps and will be celebrating workplace campaigns that have increased union membership, provided workers with access to support for individual and collective cases and negotiated improvements in policies across employers.

We have a devolution deal for north-east England that provides us with an opportunity. We have a huge amount of work ahead to make sure that the deal achieves the best for working people.

Unions are prepared to work constructively with elected leaders to continue to create and grow projects relating to skills, jobs and local economic regeneration.

Achieving net zero remains an elusive concept, but with a new Net Zero North East Board including the Northern TUC, we will have a voice in the debates.

We will also need to talk about pay. Already Sunderland City Council has been given accreditation under the Living Wage Foundation marked by a launch event with more expected to come in Newcastle and Newcastle FC.

This has to translate into pay rises for working people that beat the cost-of-living crisis.

The TUC will turn these demands into actions — so expect to see another year of our trade union movement fighting, day in and day out, for dignity, equality and justice for all working people.