CWU commits to increase youth involvement

Addressing the CWU youth conference in Birmingham over the weekend, Labour MP Tom Watson outlined his desire to revolutionise the way the Labour Party campaigns and called for greater synchronisation of union branches with Labour Party branches.

Recalling how the party had centralised during the 1980s and 90s, he said: "Members on the ground feel disenfranchised. Ed Miliband understands that and wants to hand power back."

Reacting to the news that shadow chancellor Ed Balls had moved to support a pay freeze for public sector workers until the end of this Parliament and support the government cuts agenda, Tom declared he was one member of the shadow cabinet who did not agree. Calling it "unacceptable" he said: "The public sector workers cannot carry the can for the banking industry.

"I won't be on TV picking a fight with Ed Balls but will do in private," he said.

The West Bromwich MP also told of his battle to bring the Murdoch owned media to account. He recalled two years ago being trailed by private investigator Derek Webb, then helping the same man obtain membership of the GMB union when News International failed to honour his contract.

Tom claimed the Labour movement had much to learn from the phone hacking scandal because it occurred due to a failure of political leadership. "Over the last 25 years the only challenge to Murdoch has come from the judges and the trade union movement," said Tom, who recalled how union leaders came under much pressure from the Murdoch newspapers that go digging into their lives. "As they stand up for working people these papers try to destroy them," said Tom, who called for a plurality of ownership of the media.

Looking to the future, Tom predicted that David Cameron will look to duck out of any regulation or substantial changes in media ownership and said it was now vital to secure accountability of the media.

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes (pictured left with Tom Watson and Simon Sapper) reiterated his commitment to increase the involvement of youth in the union, saying: "I believe young people must be encouraged to take control of their own destinies."

Billy emphasised the need to overcome the cynicism prevalent in wider society and highlighted the growing disparity between the one per cent of the population earning more than £150,000 and the 99 per cent who had no interest in seeing people kept in poverty, ill health, unemployed or homeless. "Every measure of freedom won in this country was due to struggle," he said.

Describing the present situation as the most extensive attack on working class living standards since the 1920s, Billy argued: "We want to see economic growth, not austerity."

Billy criticised the ConDem policies for driving up the deficit but took heart from the public sector workers strike of 30 November for "showing the beginnings of a fightback." In defence of the Labour Party, Billy described it as "the only hope." He then emphasised that not everything Labour did when in power was right and called for Labour MPs to be more reflective of people in the trade unions and the wider society. "It is depressing that MPs and ministers all share a similar outlook," said Billy, who questioned why there are not more trade unionists on TV.

With statistics showing that members of unions were 16.1% better off than those who are not, Billy concluded by stressing the value of being in a union.

In debate, there were concerns expressed regarding BT apprenticeships not being fit for purpose. Rob McCracken of Capital told how the apprenticeships were being dumbed down, saying: "Trainees are being sent into the field and then disciplined."

Supporting the motion for the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) Ryan Case confirmed that "people who had worked at BT for many years were saying the apprentice scheme was not as good as it had been."

There was much feeling from the floor over the need to defend young workers employment rights against the onslaught of the government and employers.

Receiving unanimous backing was the motion calling for a campaign to defend jobs and employment rights for all workers, including building toward a national demonstration against youth unemployment. This motion was selected as one of two to go forward to general conference in April.

A motion calling for a change in the rules dealing with branch funding so that "payment of the rebate is dependent on a branch fulfilling certain tasks - including taking the rulebook requirement for a branch youth officer seriously" aroused anger from the floor. Delegates pointed out that only half of branches have youth officers while on a recent questionnaire one third of branches could not be bothered to respond. "If the branches don't do what the rule book says they shouldn't receive the 29p rebate from the union's central funds," said Ian Emms for the YAC.

Another motion to receive enthusiastic support was one calling for the NEC to promote Palestinian statehood. National officer Simon Sapper highlighted the injustice of a situation where those with the least are being asked to pay more. He urged the youth members to get into the Labour Party and change it.

Concluding, Simon said: "All of us have a role to play. We need to get a bit more emotional about what we're doing. There is a big job ahead."