Miliband heckled by union leaders over public sector strikes

In a speech to the TUC Congress in London, he said he understood why millions of workers were angry over changes to their pensions, adding: “But while negotiations were going on, I do believe it was a mistake for strikes to happen. I continue to believe that.

“What we need now is meaningful negotiation to prevent further confrontation over this autumn.”

Some of the 300 delegates shouted out “shame” and took issue with the labour leader’s message.

During a question and answer session after his speech, Mr Miliband also drew shouts of disagreement when he defended academy schools, saying two in his Doncaster constituency had made a big difference to education standards.

Mary Bousted, leader of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said she had been “proud” to join a strike in June by tens of thousands of teachers and civil servants and told Mr Miliband that the Government was not prepared to negotiate a deal over its planned pension reforms.

Unions are gearing up for more industrial action in the autumn, which could involve huge numbers of public sector workers in the biggest outbreak of unrest for decades.

He said: “Unions can offer businesses the prospect of better management, better relationships. As you did during the recession. Of course the right to industrial action will be necessary, as a last resort.

“But in truth, strikes are always the consequence of failure. Failure on all sides. Failure we cannot afford as a nation. Instead your real role is as partners in the new economy.”

Mr Miliband drew applause for other parts of his speech, including a call for a living wage for young people, and an attack on the high level of executive pay.

Union leaders were split on their reaction to the speech.

Paul Kenny, leader of the GMB, said: “I have to give him credit for his courage in coming here and speaking frankly to us. What comes across is that he is not ashamed of the trade union links to the Labour Party.

“As Labour Leader he is not embarrassed by his association with trade unions and trade unionists. His engagement with trade unionists on the ground will bring to the fore what needs to be done to get the economy moving and to bring fairness to our communities.”

But Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, said: “Ed Miliband needs to decide just whose side he is on. Criticising teachers and other workers taking strike action to defend jobs, services and pensions alienates core labour supporters in their hundreds of thousands and is a political suicide mission.

“You can’t play political games when workers are facing the biggest all out attack on their rights and their livelihoods since the war. A Labour leader who doesn’t stand by the workers is on a one way ticket to oblivion.”

Unite leader Len McCluskey said: “Working people have heard from a Labour leader who is on their side, offering a message of hope and an alternative economic strategy, putting jobs and a decent future for our kids ahead of the interests of the elite.”

Mr Miliband told the conference that Labour won’t be able to reverse every cut being imposed as a result of the Government’s austerity measures.

“If we were in Government we would also be making some cuts in spending. I sometimes hear it said that Labour opposes every cut. Some of you might wish that was true, but it’s not.”

Labour planned for a 12% cut in the police budget, cut the road programme and reform some benefits, said Mr Miliband, continuing: “There are cuts the Tories will impose that we will not be able to reverse when we return to government.”

He said Government, employers and unions had to change to meet future challenges, adding that he believed unions could offer businesses the prospect of better employee relations.

“Of course the right to industrial action will be necessary as a last resort, but in truth, strikes are always the consequence of failure, failure we cannot afford as a nation.”

Mr Miliband pointed out that only 15% of workers in private firms were in a union, saying unions had to make sure they were relevant.

“You know you will never have relevance if you allow yourselves to be painted as the opponents of change.”

The Labour leader faced a series of questions from union officials on whether he supported the pensions campaign.

Janice Godrich, of the Public and Commercial Services union, was loudly applauded when she asked the Labour leader to “stand up” on the side of workers, while another delegate urged Labour to commit to reverse the Government’s decision to change the way future pension rises are calculated from RPI to CPI inflation, which has reduced payments.

Mr Miliband said he could not pledge to change the pension indexation and sparked more heckling when he defended the report by former Labour minister Lord Hutton on public sector pension reform, describing it as “decent”.

“The Government should engage in meaningful talks with you. The best thing that can be done to avoid industrial action is for the Government to be prepared to negotiate.”

Some delegates shook their heads and shouted out that the Government wasn’t negotiating in good faith.

Asked about the prospect of Labour considering public ownership of the railways, Mr Miliband said “all options” should considered, including mutual, public and private ownership.

Addressing the delegates as “friends”, the Labour leader said he was proud of the relationship between the party and unions, but wanted reforms to strengthen the movement.

The three million trade union levy-paying members of the party were a “huge asset”, but Mr Miliband said he wanted to reach out to those not in Labour or in a union.

“Of course there are times when you and I will disagree. You will speak your mind, and so will I, but our link is strong enough, mature enough, to deal with disagreement.”

Mr Miliband won the biggest applause when he attacked the “closed circle” of people who sit on company remuneration committees, handing out pay and bonuses.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said he expected Mr Miliband to support public sector workers and to defend the pensions deal struck by the previous Labour government.

He said: “There was an understanding of the work of unions and the need for fairness and we are glad he had a go at bankers.”

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said Mr Miliband’s refusal to support the public sector strike was a “slap in the face”, adding: “Not only is Mr Miliband turning his back on our members, he’s turning his back on the union members who voted for him as leader in their thousands.”

Billy Hayes, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said: “Ed is clearly putting the British people at the heart of Labour’s response to the economic crisis.

“He was strong on the union-Labour link this morning and we welcome that. It’s important to recognise the value trade union members bring to the Labour Party, bringing credibility and the reality of working families to Labour’s policy-making.

“It’s a shame that Ed couldn’t be more supportive when it came to the issue of industrial action.”