Motions are in for the Trades Union Congress’ annual meeting next month in Brighton. Delegates’ votes on them will decide the political and lobbying direction the TUC will take. Unions bosses have renewed energy now Labour is in and are gunning for more pay rises from a permissive government. More strikes are already on the way…

Apart from pushing for bumper pay deals, union chiefs have crafted a list of some truly insane and/or idiotic motions. Guido gives you some of the worst below:

• The Educational Institute of Scotland wants repeals of the 2016 Trade Union Act and 2023 Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, outlaws on zero-hour contracts, and devolution of “employment law fully to the devolved administrations.” More fun for the SNP and Welsh Labour…
• The Artists’ Union England wants a “prohibition of the use of AI in workplaces without explicit collective agreement” and “legislation to protect workers against the use of AI in workplaces.” UNITE joins in by calling for a bill that “ensures trade unions have the right to be consulted and to negotiate on the use of AI.” Luddites gonna luddite…
• The University College Union wants the TUC to lobby for “a decolonised curriculum in the prison education system.” That’ll fix the prisons…
• UNISON demands that the TUC raises “awareness of Reform’s policies for the workplace and society” and provides “training courses, resources and support for unions in tackling the politics of far right.” The cherry on the cake is a commitment to “organising and recruiting migrant workers.” Do they think staff need therapy to deal with Nigel?
• The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy wants to tackle the gender pay gap by challenging “the status quo of senior leadership positions in public services being ‘full-time’ roles.” Got to break down that “taboo of working at senior levels on a part-time basis”…
• The Royal College of Midwives demand a “campaign for mandatory neurodiversity awareness training for all NHS staff as part of their EDI mandatory training.” Just what the NHS needs to get productive again…
• The TUC Black Workers Conference wants “legislation to make ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory and for this to become a standard practice in employers’ policies and procedures.” More paper-pushing woke drudgery…
• The FDA looks to seize on Partygate and the “betting scandal” by introducing a “fully independent body which will have the authority to independently investigate and determine outcomes of breaches of the ministerial code, free from political interference.” Maybe Labour can fill that with its cronies too?
• The British Dietetic Association wants “a statutory right to accessible, affordable and nutritious food.” How’s that going to work?
• The Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union demands the UK sets a “national maximum working temperature and put in place a heat wave furlough scheme.” Which means they’ll do a “Heat Strike” this summer “when temperatures go above 36 degrees.” If you can’t take the heat, get out of the bakery…
• Accord wants to raise capital gains tax to income tax levels and apply national insurance to investment income, as well as ending “special treatment” of AIM shares. ‘Poof’ goes Labour’s promised “growth”…
• The Fire Brigade Union is pushing for a motion to “repeal of all anti-union laws and for positive legal rights for trade unions.” Goodbye to the Thatcher revolution…

Union bosses are no doubt itching to unveil some of their even kookier ideas once they secure more concessions from Labour over the coming months. “Get round the table” because “the adults are back in the room”…

Border Force officials at Heathrow Airport have just announced fresh strikes. PCS, representing them, have expansive demands for civil servants including a reduced working week. The domino effect has begun – below are some of the public sector unions co-conspirators can expect will be demanding more taxpayer cash something to the tune of ASLEF or Junior Doctors’ bumper offers:

• Rail and Maritime Transport Workers Union: Demanding the same bumper pay offer given to ASLEF.
• Public and Commercial Services Union: Demanding a “cost-of-living” pay rise, 35 days annual leave, and “a significant shortening of the working week with no loss of pay.” Civil servants will be jumping with excitement…
• Local Government: Unite, Unison and GMB are now demanding a 5-6% pay rise for local government workers after Reeves capitulated to the pay review bodies.
• Royal College of Nursing: Likely to continue campaign for a separate pay structure that increases nurse pay at a faster rate.
• General Practitioners: GPs are demanding an 11% pay rise. In line to be granted…
• Junior Doctors: Planning on striking again in 2025 even after Labour’s 22% pay rise.
• National Education Union: Campaigning for higher pay, a lower workload, and free school meals.
• National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers: Demanding a national commission on pay to hike it even more.
• Police Federation: Calling for higher pay.
• Fire Brigade Union: Took a 4% pay rise from the Tories, campaigning for more.

The RMT’s Mick Lynch told the Times, external he expected a “parallel, synchronised offer” to ASLEF’s. It’s the Tory record causing tax rises, is it Rachel?

Paymaster general Nick Thomas-Symonds was asked by Nick Ferrari this morning why the government is capitulating to unions while removing the winter fuel allowance for some pensioners. Thomas-Symond’s response was the classic “it’ll cost more not to settle“:

“There is an enormous cost to not settling these disputes that would apply  in terms of the junior doctors because you’d obviously have had huge disruption to patients, and it applies in terms of ASLEF and the train drivers.”

Unhelpfully for Labour the exact unions it has appeased have already indicated they will be coming back for more. Junior doctors got a bumper backdated pay rise – the BMA is already plotting more strikes for next year. ASLEF rail drivers have had their pay boosted to an average of about £70,000 with no extra conditions on their lax working rules – Mick Whelan says that will keep him quiet for a maximum of six months before going for a new offer. And so it begins…

Thomas-Symonds all but confirmed GPs will be getting their demanded 11% pay offer:

“Well the answer to that, it’s an answer I used to give you in opposition, which was about getting around to the table and actually settling with people.”

Now we know why Reeves is so insistent tax rises will have to come in the budget. Someone has to pay for it…

Unions are gleeful as the Labour government caves in, formally scrapping laws that required a minimum level of service during strikes. Though as Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Kevin Hollinrake put it: “By surrendering to their union paymasters, Labour are showing us who is really in charge.” Give them an inch…

Now the NHS estimates that the GP strikes could result in an extra 1.2 million visits to A&E, costing up to a staggering £569 million – which ultimately falls on the taxpayer. It’s no surprise GPs decided to walk when Wes Streeting immediately gave into junior doctors’ demands, handing them a bumper 22% pay rise last week. Meanwhile, civil servants across departments are staging walkouts next week as well. Four weeks into Labour, and the Unions already have them over a barrel…

Junior doctors in England are to stage a five-day strike from 27^th June – a week before election day. The British Medical Association are asking for a 35% pay rise. Unhelpful timing for Keir Starmer, particularly when he’s spending today focusing on the NHS backlog. Will he publicly ban Labour candidates from standing on the picket line?

PCS, the civil service union, is gearing up its campaign to strike again this year over being told to turn up to work by the government. Union officials were handing out flashy leaflets to staff at 2 Marsham Street (housing the Home Office and DLUHC) this week. The PCS says its “sustained, targeted” strikes have worked before and will work again to “exert maximum pressure” on the government. With the number of civil servants constantly moaning about having to turn up to the office three days per week, the campaign could get traction…

The union’s pay demands are as follows:

• A cost-of-living rise, with an inflation-proofed increase plus pay restoration.
• Pay equality across departments.
• A living wage of £15 per hour.
• London weighting provision of a minimum £5,000 per year.
• 35 days annual leave minimum.
• A significant shortening of the working week with no loss of pay.

On that last point a bemused and overworked SpAd tells Guido: “Wouldn’t we all”…