Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Paul Nowak has issued a stark warning to UK voters after US president Donald Trump’s first few weeks in power has seen him attack workers’ rights and vital workers’ institutions.
In a swipe at Reform leader Nigel Farage, Nowak has warned “this is what happens when you let the populist far-right in”.
The statement comes as the TUC leader is in Washington at World Bank HQ for an event held by the IMF, World Bank, and ITUC, bringing together leaders from the global union movement and senior officials from international financial institutions.
In his first few weeks as president, Donald Trump has fired the head of the US labour watchdog National Labor Relations Board, which has effectively left it unable to operate.
Trump has also empowered tech billionaire Elon Musk to fire thousands of federal workers – moves that union officials say have violated laws and rules that require due process.
Donald Trump: friends of Farage
The TUC general secretary highlights the close relationship between Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Nigel Farage, saying you should “judge a man by the company he keeps”.
Farage has openly courted the support of Elon Musk and has publicly and vocally backed President Trump.
At the same time, Farage and the Reform Party have at every stage voted against the Employment Rights Bill, which includes banning exploitative zero hours contracts and protecting workers from being sacked unfairly.
The TUC says Farage is defying his voters and constituents by voting against stronger workers’ rights.
Recent TUC and Hope Not Hate polling shows that voters across the political spectrum – including Reform voters – overwhelmingly back key workers’ rights policies from the government’s flagship workers’ rights legislation. This includes the majority of voters in Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch’s constituency.
TUC: ‘a cautionary tale’
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:
What’s unfolding in the US should be a cautionary tale for us all. This is what happens when you let the political fraudsters of the populist far-right in.
Having promised to be a champion for working people, President Trump is already torching workers’ rights and slashing public services. And he’s empowered unelected tech billionaire -and union buster – Elon Musk to fire thousands of essential government workers.
Nigel Farage is making the same bogus claims about being on the side of working people here in the UK. But you should judge a man by his record and the company he keeps.
As well as spending vast amounts of time kowtowing to Trump and Musk, Farage and his fellow Reform MPs have voted against the Employment Rights Bill at every stage.
Given the choice of supporting legalisation that will boost worker protections and incomes – Farage and Reform have chosen instead to be on the side of bad bosses, zero hours contracts and fire and rehire.
Featured image via the Canary
