Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary Paul Nowak will today call on Andy Burnham to stand up to big banks, failing water companies and tech billionaires in the months ahead. In a major address to the TUC conference in Brighton, he will urge the Prime Minister to rewire the economy so it benefits all workers - "not just the uber rich".
Praise for cost-of-living measures
Mr Nowak will praise the new Labour leader for giving cash-strapped families "breathing space" on the cost of living with a policy blitz. Within days of entering Downing Street, Mr Burnham announced a VAT cut for electricity bills to help struggling households and reinstated the £2 cap on bus fares.
But Mr Nowak will say: "To deliver the circuit breaker he has promised the British public, Andy Burnham is going to have to be prepared to face down vested interests. I simply say this to the Prime Minister: ignore every single one of them. They don't care about British workers. They don't care about public services. They only care about themselves and their bottom line."
Call for windfall tax on banks
Referring to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin rocket last year, Mr Nowak will add: "If union busting tech billionaires can blast their pop star mates into space, then they can pay more tax. If water companies can't provide basic services because they've paid out huge dividends for decades, then bring them back into public ownership. And Prime Minister, make good on another promise. Because if dodgy bosses undercut decent employers by using casualised labour, then be clear: your government will end zero-hours contracts once and for all. It's time to give everyone the right to a guaranteed hours contract."
Speaking at the TUC's annual conference, Mr Nowak will also reiterate his call for a windfall tax on big banks' mammoth profits. Britain's 'big four' banks - HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and NatWest - announced over the summer combined half-year pre-tax profits jumped to more than £29billion. In a direct plea to Mr Burnham, Mr Nowak will say: "Prime Minister, you've said you want to go further to cut people's energy bills. This is how you pay for it - tax the banks."
Pressure ahead of Downing Street summit
The union chief also told The Mirror at a press conference on Sunday he hoped the Prime Minister would be open to the idea of a windfall tax on the banks' profits. Mr Nowak - who held a private meeting with Mr Burnham last week - said: "I would hope he is open to the idea of a windfall tax on the banks." He said two million households were currently struggling to put food on the table while the banks raked in profits and over £25million was handed out in bonuses in the City of London. Mr Nowak said: "I don't think it's unreasonable to ask those with the broadest shoulders to pay a fairer share and that includes Britain's banks."
The speech comes as Mr Burnham prepares to gather business leaders and regional mayors in Downing Street on Monday to pledge to back entrepreneurs. Ahead of the event, Mr Burnham said Britain has "everything it needs to succeed" but requires "a culture shift" in how it does business if it is to "unlock its full potential". He added: "That means putting Government firmly on the side of the people who take risks, start companies, create jobs and bring new ideas to life. It means ensuring ambition is rewarded, making it easier to start and grow a business, and giving people the confidence that if they have a great idea, they'll get all the support they need to bring it to life."
