It’s difficult to know whether trade unions are part of the problem or part of the solution these days.

Many workers will still see their trade union as an important line of defence in the workplace – representing them in wage negotiations, ensuring health and safety requirements are met, defending their right to work from home and representing them in cases where they have individual grievances against an employer.

But others now feel abandoned by union officials who are firmly entrenched in the lanyard class and have failed to defend workers’ free speech rights, abandoned women forced to share single sex spaces with men and sneered at their many members who opted to vote Reform rather than Labour.

With union membership now below 6.5m and concentrated in public services, utilities and transport, are unions now relevant for the majority of ordinary workers? And with membership concentrated in professional occupations, are unions like the BMA now holding ordinary workers to ransom? Are the new, unaffiliated unions for delivery and hospitality workers a light on the horizon? And is the new interest in getting back to workplace basics, a return to a progressive role for unions?

This topic will be introduced by Hilary Salt, deputy leader of the Social Democratic Party. Hilary plays an outward facing role supporting the Party Leader but perhaps more importantly runs the HQ in Manchester making sure the Party supports its national membership. Previously she was a co-Founder of First Actuarial where she worked extensively with trade unions on pensions issues including supporting the CWU in negotiating the groundbreaking new collective defined contribution scheme with Royal Mail.”

Come and join the discussion

You are warmly invited to join us at The Telegraph, Orchard Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 3NY (behind the Central Station), for our next meeting on Tuesday 7th October at 7pm.

See here for location.