‘Nothing works anymore’: Tories accused of getting ‘damaged Britain’ with public providers ‘in disaster’

Sep 11, 2023 at 2:14 AM

The Conservatives will probably be accused of getting “broken Britain” in a keynote speech by the brand new chief of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) attacking the state of the economic system and public providers.

In his first speech as head of the union federation, Paul Nowak will spotlight that “nothing works in this country anymore and no one in government cares”.

He will level to issues comparable to sewage in the rivers and the college concrete fiasco as proof that the nation wants “urgent political change”.

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Addressing union delegates in his dwelling metropolis of Liverpool, Mr Nowak will say on Monday: “Nothing works on this nation anymore and nobody in authorities cares. The Conservatives have damaged Britain.

“They’ve had 13 years to sort out crumbling concrete in our schools. But five days before the new term they tell schools they can’t open.

“Because – and I quote the training secretary – everyone seems to be ‘on their arses’.

“Could you consider a extra excellent metaphor for this authorities? A disaster of their making, however another person will get the blame.

“Yet, this government that can’t keep our rivers clean, or run trains on time, or run a functioning NHS can find time to attack the right to strike.”

Mr Nowak’s speech will come on the second day of the annual TUC convention which opened in Liverpool on Sunday.

The occasion kicked off with Mr Nowak asserting in a news convention that he’s reporting the government to the UN’s workers’ rights watchdog over its controversial “anti-strikes” laws.

Unions ‘will battle anti-strikes regulation on picket line’

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill seeks to make sure a legally mandated degree of service throughout key sectors just like the NHS throughout a strike, and can permit bosses to fireplace staff who ignore notices ordering them to work on strike day.

The authorities has mentioned the aim of the laws is to guard lives and guarantee individuals can proceed to entry very important public providers throughout strikes.

But in his speech Mr Nowak will argue that quite than preserving providers for the general public, the brand new regulation is about “telling us to get back in our place and to not demand better”.

He will warn: “When the first worker is sacked for refusing to work on a strike day, we’ll fight it in workplaces and on the picket lines.

“Congress – this motion will battle it each single day till it’s repealed.”

Debates about how to oppose the the legislation are expected to dominate the TUC conference, which will also hear from deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner.

Sir Keir Starmer will not address the conference but he will host a private dinner for members of the TUC general counsel on Monday.

Unions will also discuss issues like the cost of living crisis, workers’ rights and nationalising public services.

It comes after a bruising week for the Tories which saw the escape of a terror suspect flip right into a political row concerning the state of the justice system and cuts to staffing and funding.

Meanwhile over 100 schools were forced to shut or partially shut because of collapse-prone concrete, with embattled Prime Minister Rishi Sunak facing accusations he refused to fully fund a programme of repairs while chancellor.

‘Years of austerity have left services reeling’

Unions used the two crises’ to argue the Conservative governments’ austerity agenda had left public services reeling as they opened four days of debate.

Listing problems in the public sector Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The longest NHS ready lists in historical past, enormous cuts to police forces and councils going bust. Care providers are unable to ship for sufferers, their households, or the workforce, however generate enormous earnings for offshore personal fairness trusts.

“Inmates are escaping overcrowded prisons and unsafe schools are crumbling, although you can bet Eton, Winchester and Harrow won’t be among them.

“Workers throughout all public providers, and everybody who depends on them, can see austerity has fractured and smashed the economic system.”

In a scathing attack on Westminster leaders she added: “This is essentially the most venal, corrupt, inept authorities I can keep in mind.”

Labour ‘should be extra like Atlee in 1945’

The convention follows a 12 months of unprecedented industrial motion by a whole bunch of hundreds of employees together with nurses, academics, civil servants and railway workers.

Unions are calling for change within the type of a Labour authorities.

In his speech, Mr Nowak will assault the present “cabinet of millionaires” and in a ringing endorsement of Sir Keir Starmer say: “When the time comes I will tell anyone who ask: vote for working people, vote for change, vote for the party we named for our movement. Vote Labour.”

But whereas Labour historically enjoys the help of commerce unions, others had some alternative phrases for the potential future incumbent of Downing Street.

Mark Serwotka, chief of the Public and Commercial Services union, referred to as on Labour to decide to a radical programme of funding to deal with low pay, homelessness, under-staffing in prisons, library closures and “crumbling” college buildings.

Sharon Graham, chief of Labour’s greatest union donor Unite, accused the party of becoming a “1990s tribute act” – a reference to its final time in workplace beneath Tony Blair.

She mentioned Sir Keir’s management must be extra radical than then as a result of there may be much less cash within the public coffers to spend – and choices comparable to wealth taxes and nationalising power must be thought of to boost capital.

In a reference to the post-war Labour authorities of Clement Attlee, which based the NHS, she instructed Sky News: “Britain is in crisis. And what we need to do now is not to look back to 1997. What we need to do is be more like in 1945. The country needs a reboot and Labour needs to put policies forward that give it that reboot.”