Labour’s biggest trade union supporter, Unite, has declined to endorse the party’s 2024 general election manifesto, stating that it falls short in its bid to safeguard workers’ rights and conserve jobs in the oil and gas industries. The union bosses met to discuss the party’s pledges on Friday and confirmed they would not be endorsing Labour’s plans.
Unite donated £3 million to the Labour campaign in the 2019 general election; however, the present announcement raises concerns as to whether the union will be pledging funds for the upcoming election. “No blank cheques,” the then-new Unite general secretary Sharon Graham had previously warned the Labour party.
Before Friday’s meeting, Unite informed the BBC that the party must end zero hours contracts and entirely outlaw the “hire and fire” system that leads to workers being dismissed and subsequently rehired with inferior terms and pay. Unison, the public service union, aimed to ensure the manifesto contained commitments to advance wage bargaining and improve pay.
There are now concerns over Unite’s support for Labour going forward, given their refusal to endorse the manifesto. Clause five of the party regulations enables the manifesto to be approved even if all stakeholders do not agree. The BBC claims that no formal vote occurred and that the document was approved with applause, according to party insiders.
Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, responded to employees’ worries before the meeting on Friday, stating, “We’ve got a very good package for working people. This is the greatest levelling up of rights at work for a very, very long time”. The Labour party has had its main principles for government decided for some months, and the complete manifesto launch will take place next week.
The manifesto outlines how the party intends to govern if it comes to power in the next election. Labour sources have claimed that the wide-ranging agenda will include substantial changes to planning laws and housebuilding, the addition of more teachers and police officers, and a commitment to reduce net migration. The document is believed to be exceedingly radical and unveiled after snap elections in 2017 and 2019, making this the first time in a decade that the Labour party will go into an election with a completed policy sign-off process, while the entire document is guarded closely to minimise leaks
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