FAR-RIGHT ideas are gaining greater acceptance throughout society. Sadly, workplaces in Wales are not immune from this global trend.

But, TUC Cymru, the voice of Wales at work, is taking confident steps to tackle the challenge. Working with and on behalf of unions we are challenging far right ideas at their core and having significant success in doing so.

Over the past year we have organised countless training sessions, briefings and conferences to discuss the dangers of far-right ideas and ways to counter them.

Our material is cutting edge — driven by data and research and using the latest online campaign techniques to support trade union activists to counter racist and authoritarian ideology on social media. But it is designed to be used in real life too — in canteens, on old-fashioned cork noticeboards and staff rooms across Wales.

Coupled with that, we’ve pioneered training on having difficult conversations. It is designed to help union members speak honestly and with compassion to colleagues who may have been led astray by the false promises of nativist messaging.

We believe that trade unions and their members can make a real difference in this arena. We spoke to hundreds of workers who had been tempted by far-right narratives.

We wanted to find out who was best placed to listen to them and persuade them not to follow that dark path, and which left-wing messages resonated with them. I was really struck by one finding: that seven in 10 of them trust their trade union rep a great deal or somewhat. In this age of weary cynicism that is a very high score. It demonstrates just how important union reps are in winning back their members who are tempted by the radical right.

Armed with this knowledge we launched our most high-profile campaign yet against far-right ideas: our United Cymru campaign.

We produced posters, stickers, videos, training and online content which promoted solidarity and unity. The material is designed to appeal to as wide a group of workers as possible.

Working with unions we recruited dozens of trade union activists to spread the word and to speak to their union colleagues, friends and family about why we are seeking unity over division.

Solidarity also extends to visible displays celebrating Wales and Britain’s diversity and the common bonds between working people.

That’s why we were pleased to take to the streets and lead a trade union section in the recent Pride march in Cardiff celebrating the contribution of LGBTQ+ workers to society and likewise the Together Alliance march in London in March, which aims to build together against the far right in local communities across the country.

Regrettably, the far right also take to the street to organise their own demonstrations across Wales and Britain. Groups such as Stand Up to Racism have taken the lead in organising counter-demonstrations and they have a trade union network which supports all their activity.

However, in recent years, this work has become more dangerous, with a rise in violence and intimidation.

Whilst we acknowledge that those organising counter-demos against the far-right are taking a principled position, as the umbrella body for unions, we ourselves in TUC Cymru cannot steward or organise such counter-demos, nor can we demand that our affiliated unions should do so. We cannot demand of our staff that they place themselves at risk of physical and verbal attack.

As such, when the matter was discussed at our recent Congress, delegates decided that they would not oblige union staff to put themselves in danger by attending such flashpoints and that we would continue to discuss such matters at our general council.

I’m confident that when we do discuss our continued efforts against the far right that our general council will continue to support our United Cymru campaign which exemplifies our proud commitment to tackle far-right messages and to make the case for solidarity, socialism and trade unionism.

Laura Doel is general secretary of TUC Cymru.