LABOUR leader expert Keith Ewing warned trade unionists yesterday that they face “the biggest crisis” in a lifetime.

The Campaign for Trade Union Freedom president told Aslef delegates in Southend of the “shocking decline” in collective bargaining with just 20 per cent covered by an agreement, compared with 82 per cent in the 1970s.

He said: “In 1978 I was one of 13 million trade unionists and I am now one of only six million. Our collective bargaining structures are collapsing. Our political voice will be muted as the Labour Party engages in civil war.”

And he said that the declared Labour leadership candidates would offer progressives in Britain no hope.

“Can I be optimistic about the future of the Labour Party when we look at the candidates to be leader? Look at them. They cannot get down on their knees low enough to bend down in front of big business,” he said.

Spelling out what he thinks the Tories have in store for the trade unions in this country, Mr Ewing said: “The Tory manifesto uses the word trade unions more often than the Labour Party manifesto and not in a pleasant way.”

He highlighted the Tory strike threshold laws and the right to recruit, organise and represent workers.

“They are going to look at the way subscriptions are collected and restrictions on facility times.

“There will be attacks on check-off and facility time, used to target PCS last time,” he warned.

“Political action. There will be new controls on trade union political action. Legislation for a system of opting into political subscriptions, opting in rather than opting out.

“My message, looking forward, where is it we want to be as a movement, as a union, not tomorrow, but in 10 years’ time?

What do we want to be doing and how do we want to get there?”

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