I was privileged to move M178 Immigration and Solidarity, which it would seem the video engineers did not record; they only turned it on in time to capture the second half of Lara Johnson’s excellent speech on M182 so they missed my & Joe’s speeches moving M178. I have posted the words of the two motions below/overleaf.
Our branch motion was designed to ensure that the Union and the Labour Party stood for an immigration policy based on decency and compassion, which are Starmer’s words from his ten leadership pledges an applied to all those seeking to come here, whether for work, to make a home or because they were fleeing war or political persecution.
I had been inspired by one of the fringe meetings, about Migrant’s Rights; a central piece of my speech in which I address part of the qualification, was,
If I had attended yesterday’s London Region Fringe, “Rights for all, organising and supporting migrant workers” before writing this motion, I would have focused less on the economics and more on the people but one of the purposes of the motion was to challenge the canard that migrants are an economic burden. It wasn’t true in 2016, and it isn’t true today. …
It is the view of the movers of this motion that the current immigration system which ties workers to jobs inhibits their ability to join unions and fight for their rights. Again the stories of the corruption and cruelty shared yesterday in the Organising Migrants session are an illustration of the truth of this. Low wages aren’t caused by migrants they are the result of weak unions and poor enforcement of minimum wage and health and safety laws.
The video link above, has Dean Gilligan of the CEC presenting the CEC Qualification.
Both motions were carried with qualification.
See below for the words of our motion and full notes of the speech I made. I have also posted the words of M182, Support and solidarity with Migrant Workers. …
178. IMMIGRATION AND SOLIDARITY
Congress notes the appointment of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister and the re-appointment of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary with responsibility for immigration and Border Force.
Congress believes that the Tory immigration policy is cruel and illegal. GMB believes in an immigration policy that enables legal routes to enter and stay in the country, that recognises the right to work, a right of family reunification and uncompromising support for the rights of asylum seekers and refugees.
Congress notes and confirms Labour Conference Composites 20/2019 and Composite 14/2021 on immigration, asylum seekers and refugees. https://bit.ly/lab19immigration and https://bit.ly/lab21immigration
Congress resolves to express our complete opposition to the immoral Rwanda scheme and opposition to the ‘hostile environment’.
Congress calls on the Labour Party to state its opposition to the hostile environment,
Congress calls on the next Labour Government to repeal the Nationality and Borders Act and all measures that criminalise migration or living in the UK as a migrant.
Congress calls on GMB sponsored councillors to campaign to declare their authorities as Cities of Sanctuary, or similar alternatives. https://cityofsanctuary.org/
Congress resolves that the GMB will support those workers and unions taking industrial action to disrupt the Rwanda deportations and the hostile environment.
Congress instructs the GMB delegations to Labour’s NPF, annual conference, Clause V meeting and the NEC together with GMB sponsored MPs and PPCs to campaign for and vote for these policies.
CEC position
SUPPORT WITH QUALIFICATION: Much of this motion is in line with longstanding GMB Congress policy which is uncompromising in its support for the rights of refugees and those seeking asylum, which are under attack by this Tory government.
GMB deplores Tory immigration policies such as indefinite detention and the deporting of those seeking asylum to Rwanda which is racist, in breach of human rights and the UK’s international legal duties (Composite 19, Congress 2018; Emergency Motion 2, Congress 2022). GMB also condemns the Tories’ ongoing ‘hostile environment’ under which many who had the right to live permanently in the UK for decades, such as members of the Windrush generation, were denied healthcare, work, benefits and pensions (Motion 301, Congress 2019).
The motion calls on Congress to ‘note and confirm’ composite motions to Labour Party
Conference 2019 and 2021. These composites certain policy calls that are now superseded by events and subsequent GMB policy agreed by Congress. Therefore, the CEC wishes to make qualifications on these calls specifically. Firstly, the call in the Composite motion to Labour Conference 2019 to “close all detention centres.” This is partly an industrial matter for member consultation. This Composite also made a call to “maintain and extend free movement rights” in response to the then Immigration Bill, which is now law.
We are committed to seeking repeal of that oppressive immigration system. GMB’s policy (as carried in the 2019 Brexit Statement) is to support ‘fair movement of labour’ and to argue ‘that the sad reality of past and existing policy on free movement of workers has allowed workers to be widely exploited, and used divisively to undercut wages and conditions of the broader workforce. Without checks and protections to counter this, unconditional support for free movement cannot be supported.’ (Congress 2018 – CEC Qualification to Motion 247)
The CEC also wishes to qualify that the approach of particular GMB delegations to Labour Party Conferences and policymaking bodies are a matter for the relevant CEC subcommittees and GMB delegations themselves to determine, taking external factors into account such as the coordination of priorities collectively with other affiliated trade unions through TULO.
Possibly the first time, I have seen a qualification longer than the motion it qualifies.
The notes for my moving speech, i.e. I moved the motion, not necessarily the audience.
Moving 178
President, Congress, Dave Levy, London Region moving motion 178. Immigration and Racism.
We note the progressive policies on immigration adopted by successive Labour Conferences, and contrast them with cruel and racist policies pursued by this government.
This motion calls for legal routes to be made available for people to come here to work, to live with their families and to seek safety from death injury and war.
For workers, the Tories have replaced the skills requirement with an earnings limit. A gambit informed by the motto, ignorantly knowing the cost of everything, and the value of nothing. This ignores the fact that we need unskilled workers too.
If I had attended yesterday’s London Region Fringe, “Rights for all, organising and supporting migrant workers” before writing this motion, I would have focused less on the economics and more on the people but one of the purposes of the motion was to challenge the canard that migrants are an economic burden. It wasn’t true in 2016, and it isn’t true today. After Tuesday’s debate, where this was raised, I checked the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory which states that, there was a reduction in wages amongst the lowest 5% of around a ha’penny per year!
There are poor rights on bringing family members to the UK. There is an obsessive desire to identify ‘bogus marriages’ a concept introduced by a Labour Government; I am sure others in this hall have sadder stories than I, but I have at least one friend denied a marriage at the registry office even after they had turned up.
And for refugees we have the disgrace of the detention centres and of the Calais camps and topping it off with the morally reprehensible and illegal Rwanda scheme. The conditions in these systems are inhumane and dangerous.
Once someone’s here, we have the hostile environment, making it hard to live in the UK, restricting the right to work, to bank, to rent and restricting access to healthcare impacting adults and children alike and imposing imposing massive citizen costs through visa charges and naturalisation fees.
We must campaign in our homes, streets and work places, supporting campaigns that protect migrants, and workers that refuse to push back the boats or work on deportation flights.
We need to build “An immigration system based on compassion and dignity.“
Labour must differentiate itself from the Tories on compassion not competence.
We must recognise our duties to behave with decency to other human beings.
The CEC are proposing to support with qualification and the short answer is that we agree the qualification, but the qualification comes in three parts and some are easier to agree than others.
The CEC asks that it is recognised that any action must be member led and obviously legal. Fine.
They also argue that, “that the sad reality of past … policy on free movement of workers has allowed workers to be widely exploited, and used divisively to undercut wages and conditions …”
We don’t agree! It is the view of the movers of this motion that the current immigration system which ties workers to jobs inhibits their ability to join unions and fight for their rights. Again the stories of the corruption and cruelty shared yesterday in the Organising Migrants session are an illustration of the truth of this. Low wages aren’t caused by migrants they are the result of weak unions and poor enforcement of minimum wage and health and safety laws.
It has also been suggested that, if we wish to challenge this aspect of the qualification which is based on existing policy, the famous, five year old, 2018 Brexit paper, then we should bring a motion on the topic and if my branch’s members agree, then we will do that.
The final aspect of the qualification is that again the CEC wishes to reserve a right to negotiate our policy inside the Labour Party’s decision-making process.
We bring motions of importance to our members to Congress to see them passed and make change in our workplace, our union or our country. It’s disappointing to be told that our motion will only be supported if we are prepared to see it given away to satisfy another organisation.
We don’t expect this to be given away. Flexibility is fine, submission is not.
I move
182. SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY WITH MIGRANT WORKERS
This Congress believes it is crucially important that the GMB support in as many ways possible migrant workers coming to live in the UK. GMB must also continue to support and organise activities to assist the estimated 100,000 Ukrainians who are currently living in Britain and who are experiencing many difficult issues and circumstances.
GMB will resolve to:
1. Assist the Ukrainian people and other migrant workers living in the UK who are here to protect themselves and their families from persecution poverty and war by recruiting them into the GMB and by organising and assisting them with employment problems.
2. To signpost agencies that offer advice and guidance to help them find suitable accommodation through local Councils and other agencies who are in a position and able to provide suitable accommodation for them and their families.
3. GMB will work with the Migrant Worker communities, education providers and other local agencies in terms of enabling informal and formal English language courses to be set up and delivered free of charge for migrant workers whilst living in the UK.
4. That we resolve to provide sign posting and advice for migrant workers in how to raise funds for them to self-organise within the wider community.