Politics: Unions call for summit on worker rights

TWO OF the Labour Party's biggest financial backers last night called for the first emergency meeting of the TUC Congress in more than two decades if their worst fears about the Government's attitude to workers' rights are realised.

Following a meeting between TUC leaders and the Prime Minister in Downing Street on Wednesday, the left-led Transport & General Workers' Union and the right-wing Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union are seriously concerned that the "Fairness at Work" White Paper will prove objectionable to the union movement.

Bill Morris, leader of the transport workers, believes the document will propose legislation with unacceptable barriers to union recognition and last night told a meeting of businessmen in Guernsey that he would be calling for a special TUC meeting. The engineers' leader Ken Jackson, who is equally concerned about Tony Blair's strategy, said that he would support a call for an emergency session of the union movement if the White Paper did not meet the TUC's demands.

John Monks, general secretary of the TUC, however attempted to poor cold water on the idea. He expected a White Paper in line with Labour's manifesto and there were no plans for an extraordinary meeting apart from a long-planned conference on employment rights scheduled for 6 May which would be addressed by Margaret Beckett, President of the Board of Trade.

The intended legislation was a significant part of the quid pro quo which resulted in a concerted silence among union leaders before the last election and has led to continued passivity ahead of the White Paper.

The concern of the unions follows the Downing Street meeting, but has also resulted from continuing contacts with ministers over the past few months. Anxiety among union leaders was exacerbated by news earlier this week that Tony Blair had been actively opposing a European directive aimed at giving workers enhanced rights to consultation and information.

The TUC conference meets annually and the last "reconvened congress" took place 22 years ago to discuss the so-called Social Contract between the then Labour government and the unions.

The White Paper and the legislation which will follow it, could prove to be a watershed in relations between employees' leaders and the Government and could determine whether unions want to remain the main financial benefactors of the Labour Party.

Sources close to Mr Morris say he is concerned that the White Paper, due out within the next month or so, will stipulate a turnout rate in excess of 70 per cent for any ballot on union recognition. Senior officials at the union are also concerned that the document will suggest that management should be allowed to conduct ballots on "derecognition".

Other clauses causing concern would prohibit industrial action in disputes on recognition and introduce a three-year gap between votes. Sources at the T & G argue that such a law would "do as much harm as good" for employee representation.

Trade unionists generally have expressed their doubts that the Government would observe the spirit as well as the letter of the manifesto commitment. Hitherto attention has centred on whether the intended law would insist that recognition could only be granted where half the workforce voted for it, rather half those who voted. The 70 per cent threshold would be another way of ensuring overwhelming support. Another clause exercising trade union minds is how the constituencies for ballots will be determined.

A Downing Street spokes- man said that the Prime Minister had confirmed the Government's intention to fulfil the pledge on recognition, but wanted to implement the change "sensibly" and only after full consultation with both unions and business. He said the meeting on Wednesday was "friendly and positive".