THE leader of Scotland’s largest trade union body has condemned comments made by Peter Mandelson over Labour’s New Deal for Working People, calling him a “haunting spectre”.
Roz Foyer, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), criticised Mandelson for speaking in the interests of the “business community” rather than workers.
It comes after we told how trade union leaders and senior Labour figures criticised Mandelson (below) for suggesting that reform of workers’ rights should be slower than pledged – and should not go further than the previous Labour-led UK government.
Labour leader Keir Starmer previously pledged that Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be implemented in the first 100 days of UK Government he leads, giving all workers employment rights from their first day in a job and banning zero-hours contracts.
This pledge was echoed at the STUC’s annual congress almost one year ago by deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner.
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Foyer said the Labour Party must “stick to their word” in their commitment to working people, who “deserve nothing less after 14 years of attacks from this failed and rotten Tory Government”.
“The comments from the haunting spectre that is Lord Mandelson fly in the face of the promises given to our movement on the importance of the New Deal,” Foyer said.
“We expect these promises to be delivered upon.”
She added: “We’re glad to see figures within the party rebut his nonsense from the weekend. It is workers, not the acolytes of the business community that Mandelson represents, that need help, support and assurance after 14 years of Tory Government.”
New Deal represents a new dawn for workers
Foyer stressed the importance of Labour’s New Deal, saying that it “represents a hopeful new dawn for trade union and workers’ rights”.
For the half a million workers in Scotland the STUC represents, it has become imperative that the deal remains intact.
Tracy Gilbert, regional officer for Usdaw Scotland (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers), said the deal would be "transformative" for trade union members "across all sectors".
Meanwhile, Sharon Graham (below), general secretary of Unite, said Mandelson's comment reflected "his outdated desire to see Labour reduced to a 1990s neoliberal tribute act".
She emphasised the importance of the New Deal in protecting workers' rights, adding that "only trade union bargaining power has defended the living standards of working people".
But the question remains: will the New Deal for Working People turn out to be yet another U-turn from Labour?
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