– SEE ALSO MOTIONS ON BREXIT HERE AND HERE
– FOR DEMOCRATIC PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF BANKING AND FINANCE
As Owen Jones put it: “privately owned banks have proved a catastrophic failure – for our economy, our social cohesion and our politics. There is surely no alternative to public ownership… run by workers, consumers and local authorities, with an obligation to defend the best interests of our communities…”
We note that the TUC has voted overwhelming for public ownership and democratic control of banking and high finance, and that more recently a similar policy was adopted by the national conference of Young Labour.
In the words of the TUC’s policy, a“publicly owned banking service, democratically and accountably managed… [can] play a central role in building a sustainable economy, investing in transport, green industries, housing, creating jobs and assisting recovery in the interests of working people”.
Our party should pledge and campaign to convert the whole of the UK’s banking sector into a single democratic public banking, pensions, mortgage and investment system.
– FREE OUR UNIONS – REPEAL THE ANTI-UNION LAWS
This Labour Party notes
1. The increasing number of trade union struggles scuppered by the anti-trade union laws, including recent national ballots over pay by PCS and UCU.
2. That the anti-union laws – not just the 2016 Trade Union Act, but multiple laws going back to 1980 – continually undermine workers’ ability to organise and campaign. They mean the labour movement is fighting challenges of low pay, insecurity and lack of rights with our hands tied behind our backs.
This Labour Party further notes
1. That the conference 2017 conference voted unanimously to “repeal the Trade Union Act and anti-union laws introduced in the 1980s and 90s”. Conference 2015 voted unanimously for the introduction of strong workers’ rights including “strong rights to… strike, picket and take solidarity action”. Conference 2018 voted for the next Labour government to “abolish anti-union laws”.
2. That these policies have not yet fed through into the party’s campaigning.
3. The statement and campaign initiated by Lambeth Unison and supported by a growing number of union branches and organisations, endorsing and elaborating our conference policy and calling for it be put into action. (See https://bit.ly/2IgQELv.)
This Labour Party resolves
1. To call for party policy on repealing all the anti-union laws and introducing a strong right to strike to be reflected in the party’s campaigning, and write to the NEC, Leader’s Office and Shadow Chancellor’s Office.
2. To add our endorsement to the statement initiated by Lambeth Unison.
3. To invite a speaker from the campaign.