Richard Balfe: Trades Unions and Conservatives

Richard Balfe is a former MEP appointed to liase with Britain's unions.

Around one third of Trade Union members support the Conservative Party and many of the core values of the two organisations are similar.

One day soon there is going to be a Conservative Government. That’s the way things happen in democracies. This incoming Government and the Unions, particularly in the public sector, need to get to know each other and appreciate our differences whilst at the same time recognising our joint desire to build an economically sound and strong Britain with first class public services.

The Trades Unions are built on voluntarism. Members choose to join for the benefits they obtain. There is very clear need for many working people to seek the sensible protection a Union can give.

The reality of day to day work in the average Union is helping members. In my own Union Amicus/Unite the range of services provided including first class legal advice, car and other insurance and other benefits are invaluable.

And they are not class based either. Some years ago when I had a dispute with the bursar of a public school one of my children was at it was the Unions' solicitors who successfully advised me on how to pursue my claim.

The Trades Union movement also has valuable help and support to give in many areas where Conservatives are active. The development of family friendly policies as one example, our recent series of policies entitled Women in the World Today which is all about ending inequality across all women’s issues is another.

Whilst it is true to say that the Unions have been close to the Labour Party for much of Labour's life it is not true to say that Conservatives have been unsympathetic. One can start well before the Labour Party was even founded. In the 19th Century Conservatives led the fight to abolish slavery and to improve working conditions with much of the social legislation being at the forefront of Conservative campaigns.

In 1875 following the passage of the Employers and Workmen Act Benjamin Disraeli predicted to Lady Chesterfield that the social legislation of his Ministry “will gain and retain for the Conservatives the lasting affection of the working classes”. At that time of course it was the Liberals who were the strongest exponents of Laissez Faire.

Throughout most of the 20th Century Conservative names such as Baldwin, Macmillan, Butler and Heath endeavoured to keep alive the bipartisan approach.

Today Conservatives are as anxious as ever to maintain a constructive relationship. But one important thing has changed. Whilst anxious to have the money Labour is no longer the party of the working class let alone the Unions. One Cabinet Minister James Purnell recently confessed to having “no Ideology”. Peter Mandelson is apparently “very relaxed” about the very rich.

The Unions have had very poor picking from Labour's feast and this is reflected regularly in the Trades Union journals, where there are constant complaints of being ignored and/or overlooked by Labour Ministers and policymakers.

Conservatives may have come late to this party but we are bringing a nice bottle of wine! We in the modern Conservative Party want to listen and learn from Trades Unions. 

I have been a member of a Union without interruption since I left school at the age of 16. In 1983 I was recruited to AUEW (TASS) by the then General Secretary, Ken Gill a well known Communist. I once asked him whether his party allegiance ever got in the way of his TU duties, never he said when I fight for the members I leave my Party Card out of things and fight for them as Trade Unionists. I also asked him why he wanted me in his Union “because you can do a good job for my members in Brussels” he said. An excellent example of a decent hard hitting and pragmatic Trade Unionist, and there is no doubt a lot of his members voted Conservative!

In one or two years we will be returning to Government, I am pleased that David Cameron has entrusted me with this important task. I look forward to building trust and understanding between our two great voluntary organisations.

Comments

[Donal Blaney]

Without being gratuitous, Richard, could you tell me how union activists would feel able to trust you given that you switched political parties? Do you honestly expect them to be able to work with you given that you are, in trades' unionists' eyes, a political apostate and, if so, how do you propose to get union activists on your side?

[Editor]

The best response to Donal Blaney's comment was made yesterday by Dan Hannan MEP on a ToryDiary thread:

"A wise and judicious appointment. Richard Balfe is a principled man. Unlike most defectors - Alan Howarth, say, or Emma Nicholson, or the cringe-making Shaun Wooodward - he never sought a pay-off. He had become increasingly uncomfortable with some of Labour's policies and, in the end, took about the bravest and most thankless decision a politician can take. He is now an officer of his local Association and his wife is (or at any rate was) a Tory councillor. But no baubles ever came his way. It was, in other words, that rarest thing in politics: a defection prompted by genuine conviction, without careerist calculations.

Balfie is not exactly my kind of Tory ideologically: he's a pro-European and a great admirer of Stanley Baldwin. But he is a good person and a good politician, and he'll be brilliant in this role. Many congratutlations to him."

Whether the unions will trust Mr Balfe is one thing. I think we should.

[Tony Makara]

"Labour is no longer the party of the working class let alone the Unions. One Cabinet Minister James Purnell recently confessed to having “no Ideology”. Peter Mandelson is apparently “very relaxed” about the very rich."

This is very true. Who would have thought that under a British government the poor would not have access to NHS dentistry? The fact is that under Labour poverty has widened significantly and the Labour party not only does not help the poorest sections of our society but in fact are a threat to the poor and will expand poverty levels even further.

The trades unions are an important part of the democratic process. However to be truly democratic they need to be unaffiliated and represent the interests of all their members. It is tragic that the trades unions were hijacked by the likes of Derek Robinson and Mick McGaughy in the late seventies, because their politically motivated actions tainted the trades union movement and denied a democratic voice to rank and file members. Any move to ensure that the trades unions are truly democratic are to be welcomed.

[Margaret Hemmings]

I know my views amongst members may be viewed as "traditional" shall we say, but I simply like to express my concerns and positive beliefs to help make the tory party conservative and proud once again.

I have said enough regarding trades unions on yesterdays posting.

However, my very last word is simply this.

Dealing with trades unions looks to me rather like entering into a faustian pact!

[David Belchamber]

Of course a conservative government has to work with the Unions; a government has to work with all parts of society and govern for all. I don't see that we would immediately go back to the bad old days when the first question was "who governs the country?", the elected government of the day or the unions. That is long past.
We welcome Mr Balfe and the relevant experience he brings; as he points out, many union members are conservatives and the only questions I would like to ask Mr Balfe are about the political levy: (i) is it only collected on behalf of the Labour party, (ii) if so, is it easy for a member to opt out, if s/he is not a member of the Labour party and (iii) can it (or could it) be collected on behalf of the conservatives or Lib Dems or any other nominated party?

[Donal Blaney]

Thanks for responding on Richard's behalf, Tim. I'm sure you were only being helpful in so doing. Nonetheless I was rather hoping that Richard himself might respond. I am genuinely interested in what the unions think. I have no problem with him filling this role and I'm happy to trust him.

I'm just interested in him sharing with us what the unions and their members have said or what he thinks they will say. That is surely an interesting point, not least because it may well provide us with yet more ammunition to use in the election campaign.

[John Scott]

I can see the (limited) PR benefits of this appointment, but in policy terms this is very troubling because the trades unions represent a very narrow world view. Just because it is a different world view from the Conservative Party's doesn't mean we should embrace it in the interests of 'change'.

Throughout history unions have opposed progress (for example, the BMA opposed the introduction of the NHS) and it is for this reason Tony Blair was so keen to distance himself from the unions in the 1994-97 period. Trade unions have stood in the way of their members' interests, and have rarely advanced them in recent memory. Blair understood that you cannot have real public service reform whilst being in the pockets of the union movement which will block progress at every opportunity.

Trade unions are separate from the hard working, often devoted, people who work for our public services. As a Party, we should make that distinction.

It is also troubling, at a time of economic uncertainty, that we are aligning ourselves to bodies that want to spend more taxpayers' money, are anti-enterprise and see a larger role for the state. The recent debate on private equity shows how unreconstructed the union movement is.

If we are to have any hope of succeeding in Government, we need to have steel in our spines and take on these vested interests. Pandering to them in opposition will only set back the progress we can achieve in government.

[Michael Rutherford]

Margaret, we would be dealing with trade unions whether we like it or not. I think going into talks with them with a strong relationship is a lot better than swanning around telling people how awful the unions are and then thinking we can work with them in government.

Tony Makara is right, Unions are an important part of the democratic process. If I could go back to the 19th century and stop the trade union movement, I wouldn't.

That's not to say that they always act in a fair or democratic way, we all know they don't. But they're one of the reasons working conditions improved and why poverty decreased, so we have to give them that.

[Erasmus]

The trade unions could be a great force for political good in this country. No other group of institutions is better placed to take over many of the functions of the welfare state. They could be the friendly societies of the 21st century. It's worth a try anyway so good luck to Richard Balfe.

[Graeme Archer]

Erasmus beat me to it with his excellent comment @16.30. Some leadership of some Trades Unions might be stuck in the past, but in essence these are voluntary co-operative organisations that exist to help individuals with their working and their non-working lives. Tories should be their natural champions, and in fact you could make a case that it is socialism which has perverted their role. A strong civil society should have strong trades unions - check out the names of the ancient streets in the City of London to see the good that self-organised friendly societies have brought to Britain. Good luck to Mr Balfe and congratulations on his appointment.

[David Sergeant]

Just to repeat what I said yesterday.

"In the public sector I would suggest this could be quite easy [to attract trade unionists]. It is clear, from things like lost discs, that the civil service organisation is crumbling. In schools and local authorities the continuing reorganisations create unnecessary work and personal anguish (and by the way, some of the public sector pension schemes arn't as good as others). Workers are looking for some stability and a losening of central controls. Both of which one would expect from a Conservative government. Frankly it should be easy to get a high proportion on board."

Having said that I would like to thank the editor in treating this subject so seriously by putting it up twice, perhaps further debates could be arranged when appropriate, e.g. public sector strike action. For information my union is UNISON.

[Matt Wright]

Just to echo Graeme's comments and say that trade unions are in essence proactive organisations encouraging community involvement. As such when they work positively they wish to empower people and enable them to take responsibilities. Seems a not too unfamiliar concept for Conservatives!! We all know the problems, particularly of the past in relation to how members were used for solely political ends, however this should not blind us to the wider good of trade unions and the inevitable need to work with them.

[Mr Angry]

Richard Balfe might be better received at the Trade Union party if he arrived bearing a crate of decent beer rather than a bottle of good wine.

[John Scott]

ASLEF have called a four day strike which will affect all people using South West Trains. Worth remembering these tactics before we start cosying up to this lot.

[CONfused]

Trade unions tend to forget the essence of why they exist. They tend to spend excessive time expanding the spheres of their political influence when quite often they fail abysmally to represent workers on the shop-floor in battles over basic conditions and areas of dispute.

For many I am rare kind of trade unionist. I am a Conservative who actually believes in the need for collective organisation in the workplace. I believe it is more efficient, viable and better to show collective strength in pushing an argument than for individuals to negotiate with their bosses on a one-to-one. However I see the union movement losing so much influence as a frontline service and creating so much hostility towards itself because it obsesses itself with political charades.

For many young people who believe in the practical purpose of the collective representation, the constant slagging off of the Tories, the demonising of the Thatcher Government and its very necessary reforms of trade union democracy and organisation and its unswerving and slavish support for the Labour Party is a massive turn off! It is likely that the trade union movement would be fresher and more successful if it dumped its political baggage and encouraged people of all political persuasions to be trade unionists and develop and nurture a free-thinking and modern purpose of collective representation. I am not convinced that our trade union masters are so inclined when we hear that those reviewing the role of the TUC think we were not strong enough in campaigning against the Iraq War.

The modern dynamic trade union needs to be free-thinking and break its political chains, it would encourage encompassing all political ideals that could improve its intellectual arguments and it would get back to actually doing what it originally struggled to do in the first place – support the merits of organised labour where its is appropriate, defend against exploitation in the workplace, ensure the training of its members mean that its workers actually get the protection they so richly deserve.

Mr Balfe, you maybe the man to push this agenda

[CONfused]

Trade unions tend to forget the essence of why they exist. They tend to spend excessive time expanding the spheres of their political influence when quite often they fail abysmally to represent workers on the shop-floor in battles over basic conditions and areas of dispute.

For many I am rare kind of trade unionist. I am a Conservative who actually believes in the need for collective organisation in the workplace. I believe it is more efficient, viable and better to show collective strength in pushing an argument than for individuals to negotiate with their bosses on a one-to-one. However I see the union movement losing so much influence as a frontline service and creating so much hostility towards itself because it obsesses itself with political charades.

For many young people who believe in the practical purpose of the collective representation, the constant slagging off of the Tories, the demonising of the Thatcher Government and its very necessary reforms of trade union democracy and organisation and its unswerving and slavish support for the Labour Party is a massive turn off! It is likely that the trade union movement would be fresher and more successful if it dumped its political baggage and encouraged people of all political persuasions to be trade unionists and develop and nurture a free-thinking and modern purpose of collective representation. I am not convinced that our trade union masters are so inclined when we hear that those reviewing the role of the TUC think we were not strong enough in campaigning against the Iraq War.

The modern dynamic trade union needs to be free-thinking and break its political chains, it would encourage encompassing all political ideals that could improve its intellectual arguments and it would get back to actually doing what it originally struggled to do in the first place – support the merits of organised labour where its is appropriate, defend against exploitation in the workplace, ensure the training of its members mean that its workers actually get the protection they so richly deserve.

Mr Balfe, you maybe the man to push this agenda

[stephen hoffman]

we shouldn't love up to the unions , they tried to control the country through constantly striking in the 1970s and Thatcher was right to reduce their powers , neither Heath or Macmillan stood up to them . If we collude with trade unions we will be supporting unfeasible pay rises and a rise in the public sector , when it needs a rapid reduction . now is not a time to turn away from Thatcher's position on unions

[John Barstow]

Good responsible union organisation in the work-place could in fact mean having LESS public bureacrcy. This is is because where you have the union safty reps working with management accidents are 50% less likely to happens. This is an official statistic. So with more unionized work-places it could be the perfect pretext to cut down on public safety bureacracy. Just a thought. As a union safety rep myself I have certainly played a role in keeping safety bureacrats out of my work-place.

I agree that some of the wrong kind of the public sector needs to be cut in favour of the right kind of public sector. And both the Countryside Alliance and the Communication Workers Union have shared a common platform on post offices.

And just to re-assure Stephen Hoffman. In no way are we reversing Thatcher's position. Both Thatcher and Tebbit belonged to their respective unions. Thatcher's 1980s reforms were about empowering individual union members. Many union members including union reps voted for her program.

I am very keen to get the 'doubting thomases' like Stephen Hoffman and Margaret Hemmings on board, because if we enter this project with genuine conviction then they can be of real assistance in winning a Conservative victory come next election.

[CONfused]

Thatcher was not anti-union. She legitimately curbed their excessive political capabailities - we all remember how the NUM thought it had the power and the right to bring down a Government even if it meant with foreign aid and assistance.

Thatcher thankfully democratised the union so GMB members like me have choice over when we strike, where we strike and whom we pay our dues to.

She also was a strong advocate of the Conservative Trade Unionists movement. There is a famous photo of her in 1979 with many unionised actors and actresses backing her

[CONfused]

Thatcher was not anti-union. She legitimately curbed their excessive political capabailities - we all remember how the NUM thought it had the power and the right to bring down a Government even if it meant with foreign aid and assistance.

Thatcher thankfully democratised the union so GMB members like me have choice over when we strike, where we strike and whom we pay our dues to.

She also was a strong advocate of the Conservative Trade Unionists movement. There is a famous photo of her in 1979 with many unionised actors and actresses backing her

[CONfused]

Thatcher was not anti-union. She legitimately curbed their excessive political capabailities - we all remember how the NUM thought it had the power and the right to bring down a Government even if it meant with foreign aid and assistance.

Thatcher thankfully democratised the union so GMB members like me have choice over when we strike, where we strike and whom we pay our dues to.

She also was a strong advocate of the Conservative Trade Unionists movement. There is a famous photo of her in 1979 with many unionised actors and actresses backing her

[Richard Balfe]

This has been an interesting exchange. To Donal Blaney I would say that we win elections by persuading people to change their votes. The fact that I have changed mine can only be an encouragement to others.
We must remember that the TU movement is wide and varied it does not just consist of the bogeyman leaders mentioned by one or two of your correspondants. Our approach is not about agreeing with them it is about listening to what they have to say.
Let me finish with a story. I was talking to a member of my Union UNITE/AMICUS. He pointed out to me that all of the former Board of Northern Rock had left with payoffs, no one is to be held to account despite the FSA report showing lamentable shortcomings at all levels of this affair. Meanwhile Hedge Funds have made Millions speculating in Northern Rock shares. The only losers are around 2000 loyal members of staff set to lose their jobs.
I ask one simple question. Is This Fair?