Labour denies union policy plot

John Monks: "Nobody bullies Tony Blair"

Labour has denied that trade unions will be allowed to dictate party policy ahead of the next general election.

The assurance follows an article in The Times which reported that the six biggest unions had joined forces in a series of secret meetings to draw up a united agenda to force through worker-friendly policies at Labour's National Policy Forum this summer.

Among the policies reportedly favoured are the adoption of European rules making job cuts more difficult, the abolition of the opt-out from the 48-hour week and a "buy British" government purchasing policy.

'Fairness not favours'

The Times reports that the package has been backed by unions including the TGWU, Unison, GMB, MSF and AEEU, who aim to use their votes at July's Forum to force through changes to the government's programme.

But a senior Labour spokesman said: "Tony Blair has always made it clear he will not be dictated to and the trade unions are well aware of that.

"He will offer trade unionists - and any other grouping - fairness not favours.

"He will do what is right for Britain and what is right for Britain's hard-working families."

John Monks, general secretary of the TUC, also dismissed the report.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "It is not true. Nobody bullies Tony Blair."

He said the TUC had given evidence to a Labour policy forum, as had employers' bodies, but there was nothing secret about it.

Draft policies to be presented to the National Policy Forum are currently being drawn up on the basis of consultation with at least 30,000 party members over the last two years.

'Unity is strength'

The Times quotes one "senior union source" as saying that Labour's leadership had out-manoeuvred the unions for years and that they had now decided to work on the basis that "unity is strength" and dictate Labour's second-term agenda.

Amendments proposed by any of the Forum's 175 delegates must achieve 25% support to be sent forward to the party conference for debate. Those achieving 50% support are automatically written into policy.

But the unions, while commanding about 50% of votes at conference, have only 30 places at the Forum, meaning that they will have to garner significant support from outside their ranks to stand a chance of re-shaping Labour policy.