A Message from The Workers Union

What an extraordinary year. When our descendants look at what befell the world in 2020, they may come to see it as a pivotal moment for human society. For although Coronavirus has been the focus of so many lives, it is but one of many issues that threaten the peace and security of our planet.

A casual flick through the TV channels exposes the root of our unease. Rainforests burn under tropical suns. Queues for food banks thread around abandoned shops. Children go hungry, as corals bleach white. And all the time, on some ocean cruising super-yacht,  the corpulent bellies of the super-rich expand to accommodate fresh gluttony.

This cannot continue. The light is on at the signpost for our species. Carry on walking the same path and we risk committing ourselves to oblivion. It is to our shame, then, that this message struggles to break out into a mainstream debate that’s dominated by silver-tongued politicians and their cronies in the media. It is they who convince us that the current situation is inevitable, an affirmation of the natural order.

The Workers Union on Creating a Better Future

At The Workers Union, we believe we CAN choose a future that gives everyone in our country the chance to flourish.  That’s why we invest in getting our members access to help and advice when they need it. That’s why we work with policy makers and employers to improve the conditions of working people. That’s why we’re happy to be known as “disruptors” and “change-makers”, rather than an organisation that follows tired formulas.

The truth is, playing by yesterday’s rules won’t work. The world is changing so rapidly that working people need a strong voice to help them negotiate its challenges. Automation and other tech will affect centuries of established working practice. Middle-class professions will evaporate as more and more decisions are made by artificial intelligence. Steering a positive course around these developments will take courage and wisdom. In such circumstances, legislators cannot be allowed to make decisions without being scrutinised.

Fighting for You and With You

The Workers Union will vigorously defend attacks on working people and their livelihoods. We consider this to be the very essence of our mission and a core value from which we will never be distracted. This is not empty rhetoric – we can walk the walk too: In 2020, we’ve helped more people than ever get justice and we will continue to do so in 2021 and beyond.

So to everyone who has suffered this year, we say: hold your head up, there is hope. With the arrival of the Coronavirus vaccine, the world stands a fighting chance of establishing a new normal. Of course this normal cannot be a resumption of business as usual. Instead it is beholden on us all to recognise the opportunity to improve our stewardship of this planet and bring peace and balance back to international relations. It must also be seen as a chance to address the grievous imbalances in wealth and power that characterise our societies.

To those who think that this is merely the wish list of the happily deluded, well, we beg to differ. The pathway to a better future is in front of us and it will be lit by the genius of British workers. It is they that will rebuild our economy. It is they that will continue to look after the sick and elderly with distinction. It is they that will fight for respect at work.

It is our honour and privilege to be with them on every step of that journey.

From all at The Workers Union, may we take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Christmas, and a prosperous 2021.