Tag: Paul Nowak

TUC: Reflections on the General Strike, 100 years on

This year’s May Day celebrations have an added historical resonance for trade unionists (writes TUC General Secretary PAUL NOWAK). Monday 4 May marks the centenary of the start of the General Strike – a momentous event in British industrial and political history.

But what is its real legacy? How did it shape trade unions in the decades after? And a century on, what are its lessons for today’s movement?  

I’ve just had the pleasure of addressing a fascinating event run by the Institute of Historical Research alongside US academic Jonathan Schneer, author of a brilliant new book on the General Strike: Nine Days in May. It was a great opportunity to take a step back from my day-to-day work and think about the immense historical forces that have shaped the modern trade union movement. 

Reflecting on the General Strike

I have two personal connections to the events of 1926. Firstly, as the current General Secretary of the TUC – an organisation of which I am immensely proud – I have a keen sense of our heritage. No organisation can claim to be infallible and the TUC is no exception, but for nearly 160 years we have advanced the cause of labour and bent the arc of history towards social and economic justice. And I am ambitious that we continue to do so in the future. 

Secondly, I have a strong affinity with one of the key players in the General Strike, the acting TUC General Secretary Walter Citrine. He grew up just a couple of miles from where I was born and still live in Birkenhead. 

And while not a household name, I believe he was one of the most consequential figures in the modern trade union movement, shaping the TUC as we know it today, playing a key role in the effort to defeat fascism, and building international trade unionism. 

The scale of solidarity during the strike

While the General Strike ended in defeat for the trade union movement, it remains one of the greatest acts of solidarity in British history. Three million workers answered the TUC General Council’s call to stop work, with two thirds selflessly walking out in support of miners whose jobs, terms and conditions were being slashed. This unprecedented working-class mobilisation shook the establishment to its core. 

Some have argued the defeat was rooted in the TUC’s failure to properly prepare for the strike and prosecute it with a view to bringing down the government. But I think it is fair to posit that the leadership of the TUC, our unions and – more importantly – the three million workers who answered the call to action were motivated by a desire to bring ministers and mine owners back to the negotiating table. 

Their goal was to win a fair deal for the miners, not overthrow the government or usurp parliamentary democracy. The General Strike was a moment of solidarity, not revolution. 

How the government responded in 1926

Of course, this distinction mattered not one bit to prime minister Stanley Baldwin. His government’s aim was simple: outright victory. And that’s why ministers deployed every instrument of state power at their disposal to crush the strikers – not just the civil service, local authorities, police and volunteer strike breakers, but the armed forces too. 

Despite this, the TUC ran an incredible operation from our offices in Eccleston Square, bringing the UK economy to a virtual standstill. But as Jonathan Schneer’s new book makes clear, the government executed its response with the same ruthlessness as Margaret Thatcher did during the miners’ strike of 1984-85. In both instances, the question was not so much “who runs Britain?”, but “who is Britain run for”. And in both instances, the answer was clear: not its workers. 

Trade union recovery after the General Strike

For all the General Strike was a devastating setback for unions, this retrenchment proved temporary. From a low of less than 3.7 million in 1929, our membership grew steadily for the next half century, reaching a peak of nearly 13 million in 1979. This owed much to the reshaping of the TUC by Citrine, learning the lessons from 1926, as well as our role in the war and the fight against fascism. And it was proof of our resilience in the face of periodic political hostility. It was growth fuelled by the very same solidarity that drove the 1926 strike.  

The role of the TUC in the modern movement

For me, the events of 1926 pose some fundamental questions about the TUC itself. We have always been more than the General Secretary, the staff of the organisation and our physical premises. Instead, we are the collective embodiment of our 47 affiliates and 5.3 million members, a vibrant federation of sovereign unions. And for us to be truly effective, each union has a responsibility to its own members, but also to the wider movement. Solidarity will always be a two-way street: something we should expect to give as well as receive. 

And that matters just as much in 2026 as it did a century ago. Unlike our forebears, we currently enjoy a much more positive political climate.

Labour’s Employment Rights Act is not just the biggest upgrade to our rights in a generation – it’s also a huge opportunity for us to rebuild our movement.

Let’s seize it. 

Recognise the state of Palestine now!

AN APPEAL BY TUC GENERAL SECRETARY PAUL NOWAK

Palestinian civilians are being killed as they seek food, water, and shelter at Israeli-controlled aid distribution points.

I have been horrified by Israel’s continued assault on Gaza and the mounting death toll of innocent civilians.

Now respected international agencies are warning that Israel’s blockade of aid is causing mass starvation. And the violence shows no sign of abating.

Trade unions have always stood in solidarity with people under occupation, and for peace built on human rights, equality, and international law.

It is our duty as trade unionists to call out the horrors that are happening right in front of our eyes.

Please write to your MP and ask they use their voice to recognise the state of Palestine, deliver a ceasefire, end the illegal occupation and support the journey towards peace and justice.

Write to your MP now

More than 21 months of strikes on Gaza and its people has caused untold devastation, bloodshed and suffering.

In April I visited the occupied West Bank and witnessed first-hand the human and labour rights abuses being experienced by Palestinian workers on a daily basis.

The TUC has called on the UK Government to use every diplomatic, political and economic tool available to help deliver an immediate and permanent ceasefire, end the illegal occupation and start a meaningful political peace process that respects the right to self-determination.

While we welcome this month’s joint statement from foreign ministers – urging an end to the assault and for urgent aid access – statements alone are not enough.

Words must be matched with action. And there’s no time to wait.

That’s why we are calling on the Government to take immediate action to:

  • Recognise the state of Palestine now
  • Suspend the UK-Israel trade deal
  • Ban imports from the illegal settlement
  • End all licenses for arms traded with Israel, in line with international law
  • Sanctions on individuals promoting and committing war crimes

Can you write to your MP today to echo these demands?

Write to your MP now

Recognising the state of Palestine is not a symbolic gesture. It is a necessary and practical step towards a viable two-state solution that delivers equal rights and democracy– this is the only credible path to a just and lasting peace, ending decades of occupation, violence, and displacement.

On Monday, the UN will hold a conference in New York on the two-state solution.

This is an opportunity for our Government to agree to clear and immediate action on Palestine.

Whilst these discussions take place overseas, we must use our voices as trade unionists to call on our Government to act.

Please write to your MP today.

Thank you for using your voice.

In Solidarity,

PAUL NOWAK

General Secretary, TUC

TUC: It’s time to end the pay disparity that penalises disabled workers

Disabled people are more at risk of having to make the difficult decision between heating and eating

Before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic disabled workers faced huge barriers getting into and staying in work (writes TUC General Secretary PAUL NOWAK).

The pandemic, and the huge changes it has caused to our everyday lives, has exacerbated the barriers disabled people face.

Not only have disabled people been disproportionately affected in terms of loss of life, with six in 10 Covid-19 related deaths being disabled people, but pre-existing workplace barriers have been accentuated by the pandemic.

And now, new data published by the TUC for our disabled workers conference shows disabled workers are much more likely to earn less than non-disabled workers.

That’s not right.

Having an impairment should never mean you get paid less or that you’re on worse terms and conditions. However, for too many disabled workers in this country, it is an all too true reality.

With spiralling inflation and eye watering bills, workers are having their income stretched in every direction. But for disabled people, the situation is even more challenging.

Let’s not forget – disabled workers face even higher living costs than non-disabled workers. So as the cost-of-living crisis continues to play havoc with everyone’s lives, we know that these workers are feeling the pinch even more.

But the challenges don’t end there.

Disabled workers also encounter more barriers in the workplace than non-disabled colleagues – with many worried that if they ask their employer for the reasonable adjustments they need to do their job, they’ll be refused outright.

New TUC analysis reveals disabled workers are much more likely to be paid less than their non-disabled colleagues – with those in the North of England and Wales even more likely to be paid less.

And we know that disabled people are more at risk of having to make the difficult decision between heating and eating.

With this cost-of-living crisis not looking like it’s going to end any time soon, things are only going to get worse. We need action now.

With the government too focused on its own political survival, ministers have done nothing to put the mind of disabled workers at ease.

Our call is clear: It’s time to end the pay disparity that penalises disabled workers and it’s time disabled workers get the support they need in the workplace.

At the TUC’s disabled workers conference, we heard from delegates about how the cost-of-living crisis is hitting disabled workers across the country. And we heard how we can build workplaces that work for everyone.

That means stamping out insecure work by banning zero-hour contracts, increasing the minimum wage and outlawing fire and rehire.

That means giving disabled workers fair access to request reasonable adjustments, and fining those employers who discriminate against workers because of any impairment. 

And that means forcing employers to come with an action plan to report their disability pay and employment gaps.

This is a plan which will deliver and transform the lives of so many disabled workers across the country.

Ministers must step up and act now.

This May Day, let’s fight to win

TUC General Secretary’s May Day message

May Day is a unique occasion in our calendar. It’s when we celebrate the bonds that unite workers and trade unionists across the world. When we reflect on our shared values of equality, justice and solidarity. And when we remember the huge advances won by the collective struggles of working people (writes TUC General Secretary PAUL NOWAK). 

And this year, May Day has a special resonance. The cost-of-living crisis shows few signs of easing. Food prices are now rising at almost 20 per cent, hitting the poorest hardest. And across the economy, in both private and public sectors, hundreds of thousands of workers are striking for fair pay. I’ve been proud to visit scores of picket lines, meeting inspirational reps and workers, many on strike for the first time. Unions don’t accept we have to become poorer. 

In the public sector, the government is refusing to deliver decent pay rises for the workers it lauded as heroes during the pandemic. Ministers had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the negotiating table following industrial action by health and education unions. But they are still failing to negotiate in the civil service – and the TUC will resist any attempts to play one group of workers against another.  

Meanwhile, in the private sector, unions have been winning some impressive deals for their members. And a special mention to workers at Amazon in Coventry, who have been taking historic strike action for fair pay and union recognition. 

But as workers fight for a fair deal, the Conservative government is attacking our right to strike. Their Anti Strikes Bill is undemocratic, unworkable and probably unlawful. It makes the UK an international outlier by imposing yet more draconian restrictions and penalties on unions.

Small wonder the legislation has been condemned by employment law experts and, earlier this week, by over 100 politicians worldwide. And on Wednesday, Labour, Lib Dem and crossbench peers in the House of Lords defeated the government four times on the bill. 

That’s why the TUC has called an emergency “reject and repeal” protest outside Parliament to coincide with the final Commons votes on the bill. We can’t be sure about exact dates just yet, but it’s likely to be sometime in mid May.

Full details will be posted on our website as soon as possible. This is a big opportunity for us to put our concerns firmly in the political, media and public spotlight. 

As working families struggle to stay afloat, those at the top are raking it in. Chief executives continue to trouser massive pay packages. Shareholder dividends have gone up three times faster than wages. And bankers in the City of London have just enjoyed the biggest bonus round since the crash. Britain is increasingly unequal: as hospitals set up food banks to feed their own staff, Porsche dealers report record sales. 

Instead, we need an economy that rewards work not wealth. The TUC is demanding fair taxes, including a proper windfall tax on obscene energy profits. We want a £15 minimum wage, better pensions and a boost to Universal Credit. And we want stronger collective bargaining rights for unions, so we can win fair pay for all and ensure the gains of tech change and AI are shared fairly. 

We’re also campaigning for political change and the election of a new government on a worker- and union-friendly manifesto. But whatever happens, we must rebuild our collective strength, advancing our membership and organisation right across the economy.  

My overwhelming priority remains to build a stronger, more diverse, more inclusive movement. And whether it’s fighting racism, rooting out sexual harassment or resisting the government’s spiteful Illegal Migration Bill, there’s plenty we can do. This May Day, let’s resolve to fight for all working people, in all our wonderful diversity. Ultimately, that’s the best way to win the change we need. 

Have a great May Day – and solidarity to all. 

“I want to build a stronger more diverse trade union movement”

‘I want my time leading the TUC to focus on one thing: making the trade union movement bigger, stronger and more diverse. That’s how we win for more workers.‘

I started my working career stacking the warehouse shelves in Asda. Later on, I worked as a hotel porter, and in a call centre. I know the difference being in a union can make – and that’s why, as the TUC’s new General Secretary, my focus will always be on making sure the UK’s trade unions are growing (writes PAUL NOWAK).

The current wave of strike action has one cause: the Tories’ failure to get wages growing across the economy. Workers are on course for two decades of lost pay – the longest squeeze on earnings in modern history.

Working people have had enough. They are tired of their standard of living falling year after year.

Nurses, paramedics, rail staff, posties and other key workers have been forced into taking action to defend their livelihoods and the services they provide.

Nobody takes the decision to go on strike lightly. But this is a problem of the government’s own making. Twelve years of pay cuts have left workers with no choice. And that’s why they are out on strike – with massive public support.

And rather than sitting down with unions to negotiate a resolution, ministers seem more interested in escalating disputes.

The UK already has the most restrictive trade union laws in western Europe – but ministers are set to undermine the right to strike even more. That will tilt the balance of power even further towards bad bosses and make it harder for working people to win better pay and conditions.

Have no doubt: I will lead the union movement in opposing further restrictions on the right to strike – just as we will oppose further attacks on any rights at work, including those rights that came from the EU.

But I don’t want us to spend our time just fighting bad laws – I want the trade union movement to set out a positive vision for Britain. Because we know it doesn’t have to be like this. For too long the UK has been trapped in a vicious cycle of stagnant growth, stagnant investment and stagnant wages. Now it’s time for a proper long-term economic plan that rewards work not wealth.

Unions have the answers. We should target low-pay industries, raising pay and standards and driving out rogue operators with sector-wide fair pay agreements. And ministers, unions and employers should work together on a proper industrial strategy, delivering good green jobs, training and skills across the country.

Working people deserve a seat at the tables of power – and it’s the job of unions to get them there. That’s why, when I’m asked, I always say that my first priority is building a stronger, bigger and more diverse trade union movement.

Unions must reflect the modern multiethnic working class of the UK in 2023, promoting women and Black leaders and fighting racism and discrimination.

Unions have to grow, to represent more workers and get more workplaces covered by collective bargaining. That’s how we raise wages, improve conditions and cut inequality. It’s how we stop outrages like P&O sacking hundreds of workers on the spot, with impunity.

And unions have to be stronger and more confident. That’s how we win the argument for a growing, redistributive economy, a £15 per hour minimum wage, and a ban on zero hours contracts.

The solidarity and power of a stronger, growing and more diverse trade union movement is how we will win. It is how we turn the tide on cuts, casualisation and two decades of standstill wages. And it is how we deliver what working people are asking for – a fair day’s work for a fair day’s wage.

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