TODAY sees the TUC in the Midlands come together for its 2019 annual conference, bringing delegates from dozens of unions together collectively representing just over 1.1 million working people across our region. We come together at a historic time, with our future in the balance as the political paralysis continues in Westminster. Manufacturing across the Midlands relies on frictionless trade and just-in-time components and any deal that can eventually be agreed must contain the ability for that to continue.

Without doubt Brexit and other political events over the past two years has led to a spike in race hate and the mainstream have given a new confidence for those who seek to divide our communities. Allowing the ridicule of religious symbols and dress, describing wearers of the burka as “bank robbers” and “letter boxes” undoubtedly leads to people repeating such offence and believing they have the green light to follow that example. We cannot allow these divisions to thrive, unabated in the workplace and that is why the TUC in the Midlands is leading on a pilot course to give reps a skills set to challenge the alt-right narrative in the workplace.

Over the next few months we want to design a course, for roll-out across Britain, where affiliates can attend an accredited day of activity which will give them a skills set for transformative conversations which will address the language of division in the workplace. It is essential that the TUC is driving this agenda and facilitating our affiliates to deal with the new threats that division brings to our communities, both inside and outside of the workplace.

Brexit aside, it is essential that we focus on the campaigning work we are doing that continues to demonstrate that our movement is unique in speaking up for working people. Our Dying to Work campaign for greater employment protection for terminally ill workers continues to gain ground, with almost 1 million workers now covered by the TUC Voluntary Charter, which hundreds of employers have signed up to and which the DWP now advertise as best practice.

To see a campaign started by a single worker taken up by her union and then brought to the TUC to deliver, to me epitomises the strength and purpose of our organisation. That campaign continues and we will be targeting employers across the country so that any terminally ill worker does not have to worry about their job at such a time. If we weren’t running this campaign, nobody else would be and I urge all Morning Star readers to find out more at www.dyingtowork.co.uk

Also on our agenda will be the ongoing dispute with Unison Home care workers with Birmingham City Council. These low paid, mainly women workers face pay cuts of over £4,000, with working hours being reduced, along with impossible shift patterns which destroy work/life balance. This dispute is the longest in living history, with it lasting 20 months with 60 days of strike action being taken. What is all the more galling is that Birmingham City Council purports to be a Labour authority.

Meanwhile a pay rise for councillors has just been recommended of 4 per cent, taking the most senior councillor to nearly £70,000 per year. It is gut wrenching hypocrisy to cut the pay of low paid women workers and then accept a 4 per cent increase for yourselves. We need to call this out for what it is, and it certainly isn’t Labour, either by its actions or its values. Once again, I call on the leadership of Birmingham City Council to resolve this dispute now. Work should be a route out of poverty, not a life trapped in it.

Frances O’Grady, our general secretary, will be making the keynote speech at the conference and will also take part in a session along with MEP Rory Palmer and councillor Lisa Eldret from Derby City Labour.

The TUC is the hub of solidarity, which is why we will be joined by PCS universal credit strikers, Terry Renshaw from the Shrewsbury 24 campaign will be with us and we will focus on campaigning for young workers, a project the TUC nationally has been leading on. The truth for our movement is that those who need trade unions the most are the least likely to join. We need to work out why — and how we recruit that next generation of union members.

We are also delighted to be joined by Kyri Ermoyenous, youth ambassador for the Period Power campaign. Kyri recently joined us in Parliament to meet with the Midlands Parliamentary Labour Party after we secured her an authorised day off from school. She delivered a quality presentation on why sanitary products should be free, and our regional council is determined to keep this campaign on the agenda. It takes all of us to stand up when we see something is wrong and unjust, and nothing is more so than period poverty.

Our future has never felt so uncertain and only a strong, positive, campaigning trade union movement can face that future and genuinely change the world of work for good.

Lee Barron is the Midlands TUC regional secretary