LABOUR is back as the “political voice of the working class,” party leader Jeremy Corbyn told trade unionists today.
Speaking at Unite’s biannual policy conference in Brighton, Mr Corbyn committed Labour to “doing far more” to “give a real voice” to working people.
Mr Corbyn said three decades of media and Establishment insistence that “class doesn’t matter” had allowed a “tiny minority at the top of society” to become “ever more wealthy.”
He told delegates that “transformative change” will come from a united labour movement.
“The greatest changes in history have never been handed down from above, they have always been fought for by people campaigning and demanding that change is made,” he said.
Labour will work with you every step of the way to deliver the best possible outcome for working people.
When we go into government, we will not be able to achieve the far-reaching reforms we desire without the help of our whole labour movement.
The Labour leader pointed to TUC research showing that the last decade had been the worst for wage decline since the early 19thcentury.
Mr Corbyn turned on the Tories’ “determination” to weaken unions and reduce trade union rights.
“When you attack trade unions, you attack working people’s incomes and the share of the national income that is going to wages.
You can’t pontificate on the steps of Downing Street about ‘tackling burning injustices’ when you deliberately undermine the organisations who lead the fight against burning injustices in the workplace.
In response, Mr Corbyn pledged that the next Labour government will end the race to the bottom.
He said:
In government, we will put the interests of working-class people centre-stage to give the majority a decent chance, real control of their lives and a larger share of the wealth created.
Mr Corbyn also passed on the best wishes of incoming left-wing Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to the union.
Mr Obrador has spoken in the past at Unite’s London headquarters, and has worked with British workers to support Mexican miners.