Watch and Learn - TUC General Secretary warns that the government must do more

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The cost of living crisis may no longer

be in newspaper headlines every day. But

be in newspaper headlines every day But

for lots of ordinary people, they're

for lots of ordinary people they're

struggling to get by. One in three are

struggling to get by One in three are

not turning on the heating because

they're worried about paying those bills

at the end of the month. One in five are

at the end of the month One in five are

skipping meals. And a whopping 80% of

skipping meals And a whopping 80 of

people say that their finances aren't

getting better. So that's really

getting better So that's really

important this year. That's why the

important this year That's why the

government has to absolutely focus on

driving up people's uh living standards.

driving up people's uh living standards

We saw some moves towards that in the

budget uh this year. Uh help to tackle

budget uh this year Uh help to tackle

those heating bills, raising the minimum

those heating bills raising the minimum

wage, uh holding down train fares,

wage uh holding down train fares

crucially lifting that two-child benefit

cap, but the government really does need

cap but the government really does need

to focus this year on putting more money

in people's pockets. You've said that

in people's pockets You've said that

the Employment Rights Act, now it's got

the Employment Rights Act now it's got

its royal assent, is a perfect Christmas

its royal assent is a perfect Christmas

present for many workers. And yet you've

present for many workers And yet you've

said the timetable cannot slip. uh a

said the timetable cannot slip uh a

half-baked ban on zero hours contracts is

no good and uh paltry fines for

employers uh won't do. What are your

employers uh won't do What are your

concerns then about the bill? Are you

concerns then about the bill Are you

worried too many concessions have been

made?

made

>> Well, the Employment Rights Act has the

>> Well the Employment Rights Act has the

potential to transform life at work for

millions of people. Sick pay from day

millions of people Sick pay from day

one, an end to exploitative zero hours

one an end to exploitative zero hours

contracts, giving people a union voice

contracts giving people a union voice

at work. But a Diet Coke version of the

at work But a Diet Coke version of the

Employment Rights Act won't benefit

millions of workers. So we need the

millions of workers So we need the

government to deliver, to deliver at

government to deliver to deliver at

speed and to deliver the act in full

alongside its broader agenda to make

work pay. So tackling bogus

work pay So tackling bogus

self-employment uh delivering that

biggest wave of public sector insourcing

that they promised at the last, uh

that they promised at the last uh

general election. Employment Rights Act

general election Employment Rights Act

is a huge step forward but there's still

more for the government to do in 2026.

more for the government to do in 2026

>> The fact that you're calling on the

government to deliver suggests that you

have concerns that they're not going to

uh stick to their promises. Well, well,

uh stick to their promises Well well

listen, I think the government fully

listen I think the government fully

intends to deliver the Employment Rights

Act in spirit as well as in the letter

of the legislation. But there will be

of the legislation But there will be

voices calling on them to dilute and

to delay different aspects of the act,

to delay different aspects of the act

whether it's dodgy bosses or those in

the right-wing press, uh, and media, the

the right-wing press uh and media the

likes of Amazon, will fight tooth and

likes of Amazon will fight tooth and

nail against key provisions like

allowing unions access to the workplace.

allowing unions access to the workplace

But I'm convinced that if the government

acts at speed, delivers the bill, uh

acts at speed delivers the bill uh

delivers the act in full, it will

delivers the act in full it will

deliver a huge boost in workers rights

for millions of people across the

country.

country

>> You talk about the timetable say it

cannot slip. What is the timetable that

cannot slip What is the timetable that

you believe the government needs to

implement?

implement

>> Well, well, the government's already set

>> Well well the government's already set

out its timetable for the, uh

out its timetable for the uh

employment rights act. Then it's really

employment rights act Then it's really

important that that doesn't uh slip.

important that that doesn't uh slip

That includes, for example, sick pay

That includes for example sick pay

from day one coming in this April

alongside new rights uh to parental

leave uh from day one. It was why it was

leave uh from day one It was why it was

so important that the act got rule

assent before Christmas because we need

to have this not just a piece of

legislation on the statute book, but

legislation on the statute book but

having a real impact in Britain's uh

workplace. Millions of workers have been

workplace Millions of workers have been

waiting a long time for these new rights

and it's important that the government

delivers them as soon as possible. How

delivers them as soon as possible How

concerned are you about the concessions

that the government made um in response

to all those defeats in the House of

Lords, the ping-pong? Um, there were

Lords the ping-pong Um there were

various concessions made for example on

day one uh rights for unfair dismissal

uh and so on. Um how concerned are you

uh and so on Um how concerned are you

that the bill is not as strong as it

should be given those concessions? Well,

should be given those concessions Well

well, the priority for unions and for

well the priority for unions and for

the millions of workers that we

represent was getting that bill onto the

statute book before Christmas. And

statute book before Christmas And

that's what we've managed uh to achieve.

that's what we've managed uh to achieve

And alongside that six-month qualifying

period, uh, for unfair dismissal rights

period uh for unfair dismissal rights

down from two years, which they are at

down from two years which they are at

the moment, we got rid of the cap on

the moment we got rid of the cap on

compensation, uh, for those new rights and

compensation uh for those new rights and

we've also made sure that they come into

effect, uh, earlier. So, it was a

effect uh earlier So it was a

compromise, but I'm clear that this, this

compromise but I'm clear that this this

set of legislation is the biggest

upgrade in workers' rights in a

generation. What we need to see now is

generation What we need to see now is

for it to take effect in workplaces.

for it to take effect in workplaces

>> What's your view of the election of

Andrea Eagles, a left-winger expelled from

Andrea Eagles a left-winger expelled from

the Labour Party who's just been elected

general secretary of Britain's biggest

trade union, Unison. That's the decision

trade union Unison That's the decision

of Unison members and absolutely right.

of Unison members and absolutely right

It's a democratic uh union and it's

Unison members that decide, uh, who leads

Unison members that decide uh who leads

that union. I'm looking forward to

that union I'm looking forward to

working, uh, with Andrea and 46 TUC's

working uh with Andrea and 46 TUC's

other unions to make sure that that

employment rights act uh takes effect in

workplaces as quickly as possible to

make sure that we stand up for millions

of low paid workers across the public

and private sector including Andrea's

members.

members

>> Um it's big change though, isn't it?

>> Um it's big change though isn't it

Because of course Unison under its

previous general secretary, current

previous general secretary current

general secretary was a a a loyal, uh

general secretary was a a a loyal uh

Unison in supporting the prime minister

and the government. That looks as though

and the government That looks as though

that's going to change. Does that create

that's going to change Does that create

problems for you?

problems for you

>> Well, I I think Andrea will be exactly

>> Well I I think Andrea will be exactly

the same as Christina before her. She'll

the same as Christina before her She'll

be standing up for over a million Unison

members and their interests will be the

ones that she puts first and rightly so.

ones that she puts first and rightly so

But I look forward to working with, with

But I look forward to working with with

Andrea and with Unison and all of the

other TU unions to make sure that 2026

is the year that we deliver on living

standards for working people.

standards for working people

>> You say that failing to address economic

insecurity will lead to a further rise

of the far right. What are your fears

of the far right What are your fears

there? Well, I think there's a real

there Well I think there's a real

danger that we've got people who are

disillusioned with mainstream uh

politics, who feel that change isn't

politics who feel that change isn't

coming and isn't coming fast enough.

coming and isn't coming fast enough

That's what they voted for at the last

general uh election. And that's why the

general uh election And that's why the

government has to be absolutely focused

on not just growing the economy, but

on not just growing the economy but

growing the economy in a way that puts

money in people's pockets. And if they

money in people's pockets And if they

don't, then there's a real danger that

don't then there's a real danger that

the far and popular right Nigel Farage

and the likes of Tommy Robinson will the

politics of division and the politics of

fear and the politics of despair will

take hold. I think we need to give

take hold I think we need to give

people hope. I think we need to put more

people hope I think we need to put more

money in people's pockets to improve

people's day-to-day lives. I know that

people's day-to-day lives I know that

the government uh has made a start with

the budget, but there's much more that

the budget but there's much more that

they need to do in 2026 to make that

reality. You've warned about the threat

reality You've warned about the threat

of the rise of the far right and Nigel

Farage and yet Labor languishing in the

polls and Reform UK seem to be storming

ahead. Um, is it time to change the

ahead Um is it time to change the

leader of the Labor Party and Prime

Minister get someone else in to deliver

on all the things you want to see?

on all the things you want to see

>> Listen, at the end of the day, when a

>> Listen at the end of the day when a

government is trailing in the polls and

the prime minister is trailing in the

polls, there'll always be speculation

polls there'll always be speculation

about uh leadership. Uh but from my

about uh leadership Uh but from my

perspective, it's really important that

perspective it's really important that

the prime minister and other members of

the cabinet and the whole parliamentary

Labor Party and the government don't

take their eyes off the day job which is

delivering for working people, their

delivering for working people their

families and communities up and down the

country. I mean, I think our members

country I mean I think our members

want to see that boost to the economy

that they can feel in their pockets.

that they can feel in their pockets

That's their priority rather than who's

up and who's down uh in the cabinet. So,

up and who's down uh in the cabinet So

I'm absolutely clear that reform are a

dead end. They're a cul-de-sac for

dead end They're a cul-de-sac for

working-class people. Working-class

working-class people Working-class

people in this country can't afford

reform. Nigel Farage would scrap those

reform Nigel Farage would scrap those

new rights for millions of workers. He

new rights for millions of workers He

would privatize, uh, our NHS. It it'd let

would privatize uh our NHS It it'd let

loose deregulation in the City of

London. That's not an agenda that works

London That's not an agenda that works

for working people. But the government

for working people But the government

needs to step up to the plate and

deliver the real change that people

want.

want

>> But critics of the prime minister will

say that they would step up to the plate

and do better with a different leader,

and do better with a different leader

Mr. Burnham or Angela Rayner or Wes

Mr Burnham or Angela Rayner or Wes

Streeting. What's your view on that?

Streeting What's your view on that

Well, as I say, it's not my job to play

Well as I say it's not my job to play

cabinet top trumps. My job is to make

cabinet top trumps My job is to make

sure that whoever is in number 10 is

delivering for working people and their

communities. That's my priority. Driving

communities That's my priority Driving

up living standards, improving the world

up living standards improving the world

of work, and making sure that union

of work and making sure that union

members and their families can afford

the decent, uh, decent life.

the decent uh decent life

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