"Keir Starmer must transform industries - not offer a band-aid"

Over 150,000 Unite members have been involved in over 900 cases over the past two years, and our win rate is over 80 %

Keir Starmer "must transform industries" (

Image: Getty Images)

It has now been almost two years since I was elected General Secretary of Unite. At that time, I said I would bring our union back to the workplace, instead of endlessly watching Westminster with hope.

Our top priority would be to fight for the jobs, wages and conditions of our members. I hope I have been true to my word. We have literally secured hundreds of millions of pounds for our members by winning great deals. Much of this was done without the need to strike. But where we needed it, we weren't afraid to take action to get our members better paid.

Over 150,000 Unite members have been involved in over 900 disputes over the past two years. Our success rate is over 80% and this action has put over £400 million in the pockets of Unite members. Winning led Unite to increase its number of paying members quarter after quarter for the first time in over a decade. All of this proves that workers will join unions if they have a reason to.

And with the Governor of the Bank of England putting pressure on household budgets with his relentless interest rate hikes, I can promise that we will act to defend working people. So expect more strikes. I've had enough of his "holy" inflation target. How much would workers have to suffer for it to come down to a 2% inflation rate? Why should working people be bludgeoned by his blunt instrument of blind adherence to so-called banker-dictated fiscal policy?