THIS year must see a massive mobilisation of workers to resist attacks on pay and working conditions, Communication Workers Union (CWU) general secretary Dave Ward said today.

Opening the union’s annual conference in Bournemouth, Mr Ward urged as many delegates as possible to attend the TUC’s national We Demand Better rally in London on June 18 to push for a “new deal for working people.”

Addressing members remotely following a positive Covid-19 test, he warned bosses that the union is heading for several national disputes, including against a pay freeze at the Post Office, with a strike set for May 3, and at BT, with an industrial ballot looming.

Mr Ward praised workers who had stayed at their posts throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, saying: “Whilst our members were making huge personal sacrifices, the likes of BT were making huge profits.”

He slammed Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a “shambolic individual” who had broken his promises to level up the country.

Mr Ward, who backed Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership in 2015, argued current leader Sir Keir Starmer had done well to damage the PM during the ongoing partygate scandal but expressed disappointment about the overall direction of the party.

“Getting rid of Johnson is one thing, getting rid of the Tories is another,” he said. “So far, we have yet to see the sort of transformative policies and the narrative and vision that people have confidence in.

“I hope that changes, I really do, but we are in a position where we have to make change happen ourselves.”

The CWU’s mobilising strategy would help to bring unions together “like never before,” he said, promising to reveal more details about the campaign during the six-day conference. 

He also called on unions to “embed themselves in communities” to show they could deliver real change.

“Conference, I want us to start the fight for all of our members on pay, terms and conditions and using our collective strength to achieve that,” Mr Ward said.  

“I want to see us step forward in a serious way and bring about the biggest mobilisation of CWU people on June 18.

“And I want to see us build a union that really does change things and looks after people — in and outside work.

“Conference, I know you’re up for that and this week is the start of that process.”