TUC Young Members Conference 2013

Trade Union Congress Young Members Conference 23-24th March 2013

Attached is the agenda for the TUC young members conference which takes place at Congress house, Great Russell street, London (nearest tube Tottenham court road).

We submitted 1 motion- M8:

PENSIONS
Conference notes the government wants public sector workers to pay increased pension contributions, work for more years and receive a smaller pension on retirement than they do currently.
The government claims this will make public sector pensions affordable and sustainable. They attempt to divide workers by claiming that public sector workers don't deserve decent pensions because private sector workers on the whole don't have the same level of pension provision. They have also offered a better deal to older workers, trying to divide older and younger workers.
Conference further notes younger workers will be hit hardest by the pension changes as they will have to work until 68 or even 70, and will receive much less as pension accruals will be pegged to CPI not RPI in the future. This is on top of proposals to increase the state pension age.
Conference believes attacks on pensions are part of the government's wider cuts agenda. They want the working class to pay for bailing out the banks by cutting public services, slashing jobs, reducing pensions, and reducing employment rights.
To defeat the attacks on pensions and the government's cuts we need a campaign that unites private and public sector workers and counters the government's propaganda attacks against trade unionists and public sector workers.
Conference calls on the TUC to help build that campaign by supporting all strike action undertaken by affiliates against the pension attacks and to give ongoing consideration to building for a general strike against the government's cuts agenda.
RMT

The RMT submitted an amendment to motion- m5 :

LIVING WAGE FOR MARITIME OFFICER TRAINEES
This Youth Conference notes that maritime officer training, like some other vocational training, is often part-sponsored by companies as well as government through SMarT funding.
This Conference recognises that having training cost covered by government and industry means that young people from all backgrounds can access training, gain industry-recognised qualifications and undertake proper and structured work experience. However, some companies only cover the course fees with basic sponsorship while others provide proper living allowances which cover the cost of accommodation, food and other expenses.
As these vocational courses are often intensive and involve working outside of classroom time, they are not compatible with seeking additional employment to cover the young person’s living expenses.
Therefore this Youth Conference calls on the TUC to campaign for a “living wage” for all students on company-sponsored vocational training schemes and support the maritime trade unions in their lobbying of government to safeguard the future of SMarT funding.
NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL

Amendment
[Insert as new paragraph after 3rd paragraph]
This Conference also condemns the fact that some non-UK seafarers working routes to and from UK ports are excluded from protection of the National Minimum Wage and agrees to campaign to change this legislation. It is also a concern that seafarer ratings only qualify for 4% of SMarT funds and that a recruitment deficit exists for ratings.
RMT

Our national allocation is 4 young member delegates we hope to speak on a number of motions, if you have any thoughts on the motions please forward comments to: youngmember@rmtlondontransport.org.uk
prior to the planning meeting this Friday (22nd.)