‘Why is it always the posh, private schoolboys who want to act like they’re working-class heroes?’
GMB union general secretary Gary Smith hit out at Reform UK’s ‘chancers and bankers’ as he addressed the union’s annual congress yesterday.
This year, the union’s congress will take place in Brighton from 8 – 12 June.
Smith used his speech to tell some truths about Reform UK.
He said: “Let’s get one thing clear – Mr Farage and his ex-Tory soulmates are no friends of workers. They’ve spent a political lifetime attacking trade unions and the rights we have all fought so hard for. Decent pay, better conditions, protections we cherish.
“By the way, why is it always the posh, private schoolboys who want to act like they’re working-class heroes?”.
The union boss added: “Do they really think we can’t see the bankers, the chancers, the anti-union blowhards?”.
Smith questioned why, if Reform is “so pro-worker”, did they vote against Labour’s Employment Rights Bill, which includes fair pay and protections against fire and rehire.
He continued: “Now they are going to run town halls. And, the first thing they want to do is sack council workers.”
Smith accused Reform of having a “sneering, snooty attitude” to public sector workers about so-called ‘gold-plated’ pensions.
“Go ask a local authority care worker, refuse collector, street cleaner, school support staff member if they think their meagre pension is gold-plated,” he said.
He also described Reform’s “abuse and name-calling” of public sector workers “an utter disgrace”.
Smith praised Labour’s Employment Rights Bill, calling it “the most positive step in trade union rights in 50 years”. However, he said the government has made mistakes.
“Labour don’t always make it easy to rally to their banner. Congress, it is less than a year since Labour won its landslide. There was a feeling of real hope, real change,” he said.
Smith told Labour to listen to GMB, “listen and think again”.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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