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  • I’ve just come back from the Trade Unions Congress in Brighton

  • and it was great to meet so many trade unionists.

  • We know that around the world where the are vibrant trade unions

  • there are more equal and happier societies.

  • And right behind my now are Unison workers,

  • teaching assistants who work in schools.

  • Theyre campaigning to draw attention to their low pay

  • and the fact that theyre not getting paid during holidays.

  • Were here supporting them too.

  • We passed a motion at Green Party Conference 10 days ago

  • which was about sticking up for workers at Hermes, Uber Eats and Deliveroo

  • who are being squeezed and facing insecure employment.

  • We're in a new situation in the 21st century, a new age of insecurity,

  • which we have to address, not just by increasing trade union rights

  • but getting workers to come together.

  • But we also want this Government to sit up and take notice.

  • It's clear with the Trade Union Act that the Government is assaulting trade unions.

  • It doesn't believe in giving control, opportunity and choice to workers

  • it actually wants to take those things away from them.

  • We want to do the opposite.

  • We want to give back control and opportunity to workers.

  • And we're asking for two things from this Government.

  • The first is to reopen its inquiry into employment rights

  • and employment practices, that it shelved in 2014.

  • It has to look at these issues urgently and it has to

  • come back with concrete proposals to address this situation.

  • The second is that we want a pilot into the basic income.

  • The basic income is an idea whose time has surely come.

  • Around the world many countries are piloting schemes

  • and we want to pilot it in this country.

  • It would be a regular payment - whether you're in education, out of work or in work.

  • It would give you choice and opportunity and the chance to start your own business,

  • in your local community or elsewhere.

  • It would give you the chance to have some security in very insecure times,

  • whether you're working for one of these organisations that isn't giving you the rights you deserve.

  • It's a way of giving choice and opportunity at a time

  • when people desperately need it.

I’ve just come back from the Trade Unions Congress in Brighton

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