Trade unions have been a fixture of British politics for over a century, but this week the relationship between unions and parties was thrown into sharp relief when Reform UK leader Nigel Farage invited them to break their historic link with Labour and affiliate with his party instead. The unions' blunt refusal, and their simultaneous call for Labour to adopt a radical energy tariff, reveals both the enduring influence of organised labour and the tensions pulling it in new directions.
At their simplest, trade unions are organisations that represent workers in negotiations with employers over pay, conditions, and rights. In the UK, 48 unions are affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the largest federation of workers. Eleven of those unions are directly affiliated to the Labour Party, representing around four million workers. These unions help fund Labour — in the first three months of this year alone, Labour received £1.4m in donations from seven unions — and their members can vote in Labour leadership contests. Union representatives also sit on Labour's National Executive Committee, giving them a formal say in party policy.
“An explainer on UK trade unions' role in politics and their relationships with Labour and Reform UK.”
This close relationship dates back to Labour's founding in 1900 as a political voice for trade unions. For decades, the unions were Labour's grassroots backbone, but their power has waned since the 1980s. Membership has fallen, strikes have become less common, and the party itself has moved toward the centre. Today, the link is looser but still vital. However, Farage's offer — made after a poll suggested he was the most popular party leader among trade union members — highlights a potential shift. Reform UK has pledged to scrap Labour's Employment Rights Act, which gives workers rights such as sick pay from day one and protection from unfair dismissal after six months. Union leaders have dismissed Farage as "no friend of the workers" and called his claim that Reform is "the party of the workers" laughable.
For UK readers, the union-party link matters because it directly affects daily life. Unions lobby for better wages, safer workplaces, and stronger employment protections. When they clash with a government — as they are now over energy bills — it can lead to policies that change household finances. The TUC has proposed an 'emergency social tariff' that would cut annual energy bills by up to £559 for low-income households, paid for by a windfall tax on banks. This is a concrete example of how union pressure can shape government priorities. At the same time, internal union disputes — like the current row between the NEU teachers' union and Unite, Unison, and the GMB over who organises teaching assistants — show that the labour movement is not monolithic.
Q: What do trade unions do? Trade unions represent workers in negotiations with employers over pay, hours, and working conditions. They also campaign for legal protections, such as the right to sick pay and unfair dismissal rights, and can organise strikes if disputes are not resolved.
Q: Why are unions linked to the Labour Party? The Labour Party was founded in 1900 to represent trade unionists in parliament. Unions still fund Labour, have seats on its decision-making body (the National Executive Committee), and their members can vote in Labour leadership contests. In return, Labour typically supports policies favoured by unions.
Q: Why did Nigel Farage invite unions to join Reform UK? A poll showed Farage was the most popular party leader among trade union members. He argued that Reform UK could represent workers' interests and invited union leaders to his party conference in September. Union leaders rejected the offer, citing Reform's plans to scrap employment rights and calling Farage 'no friend of the workers'.
What happens next is uncertain. The TUC continues to pressure Labour to adopt its energy tariff, while Labour must balance union demands with business concerns. Farage's overture may fade, but the fact that a poll shows him popular among union members suggests the traditional Labour-union bond is fraying. Reform UK's conference in September will be watched closely for any further attempts to woo union members, and the Labour Party will need to decide how far it is willing to go to keep its oldest allies on side.