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Rain couldn’t dampen the TUC’s passion this weekend as the union and tens-of-thousands of steelworkers, teachers, midwives, carers, retail staff, posties, civil servants, firefighters, and activists took to London’s streets to demand a new deal for workers.

The TUC’s General Secretary, Frances O’Grady, said: “There is a new mood in the country. People have been very patient, but they are now demanding a new deal for decent jobs, fair wages, to fund public services and for strong trade unions.

“You can’t hand out bumper dividends to shareholders and cut workers’ wages. You can’t fill your boots in the boardroom and tell workers to tighten their belts, and you can’t build world-class companies on the back of second-class rights. The greed has to stop.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn echoed this sentiment, “This demonstration today is about workers rights, it is about collective endeavour but above all, it's a declaration that we're around to campaign as long as it takes, to bring about that social justice and that decency in society.”

The TUC presented a clear outline of their new deal:

• A minimum wage of £10 an hour, now.
• A ban exploitative zero hours contracts.
• Adequate funding for the NHS and public services.
• A repeal of the trade union act which makes it harder for us to stand up for working people.
• A crack down on tax dodgers who starve our schools and hospitals of funding.

“This massive demonstration shows the hunger for economic justice that is spreading throughout the U.K., across Europe, and in the rest of world,” said Philip Jennings, UNI General Secretary. “A new deal is clearly needed to beat back right-wing populism, attacks on worker organising, and the erosion of the social safety net.”

More than just a one-day demonstration, the TUC is building a sustained campaign.

“Together,” O’Grady said, “we can build a growing economy for the many not the few. Together – we can nurture a society free from sexism, racism and discrimination. And together – we can win the New Deal working people are crying out for. Let’s get to it.” 

UNI’s World Congress will be held in Liverpool in June, where Corbyn and O’Grady will be featured speakers.

Learn more about the new deal here: https://www.tuc.org.uk/new-deal-working-people-tuc-march-and-rally.