People's Charter supported by TUC - September 2009

19 Sep 2009

The Trades Union Congress has agreed to support the People's Charter, which sets out a programme for challenging the economic crisis and for a fairer society.

Motion 32 - People's Charter

Congress agrees to support the People's Charter, which sets out a programme for challenging the economic crisis and for a fairer society including:

i) a fair economy: taking leading banking, insurance and mortgage industries into public ownership; ending raids on pension funds, asset-stripping and corporate tax loopholes; restructuring tax so big business and the wealthy pay more

ii) more and better jobs: building full employment, protecting existing jobs and investing to create new jobs with decent pay; raising the minimum wage and ending the lower rate for young workers

iii) decent homes: stopping repossessions, controlling rents, giving local government the power and funds to build and renovate millions of affordable quality homes and buy empty properties

iv) saving and improving our services: ensuring energy, transport, water, post and telecommunications are in public ownership; ending profiteering in public services; stopping EU privatisation directives

v) fairness and justice: free heating and transport for every pensioner; linking state pensions and benefits to average earnings; protecting pension schemes; ending child poverty; enforcing equal pay for women; ending racism and discrimination; no scapegoating migrant workers; guaranteeing training, apprenticeships and education with grants and no fees; restoring trade union rights

vi) a secure and sustainable future: ending the cost of war and nuclear weapons; bringing our troops home; getting rid of the debt economy and cancelling the debts of the poor of the planet.

Congress agrees to build support for the Charter in workplaces and communities to assist in achieving a million UK signatures to demonstrate that the Government must put people first.

National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers


The following Amendment was ACCEPTED

Delete final paragraph and replace with:

'Congress agrees to build support for the principles outlined in the Charter in workplaces and communities to help promote progressive policies in the Labour Party and to assist in achieving a million UK signatures to demonstrate that the Government must put people first.'

Unite