Question: How different are you going to be from John Monks?

Brendan Barber:Well, some of the challenges are a bit different in the sense that we're at a different point in the political cycle from John's term. John's term was five years of a Conservative government, near enough, but looking ahead to the possibility of a Labour government and then the five years of a Labour government that did implement a lot of the things that were talked about in the run up to the 97 election.

My period is a bit different; coming into office almost two years in to a second Labour term where it seems to me the kind of political challenge is to try to establish with the government a new programme that inspires the trade movement and indicates to the trade union movement that there are goals and targets being addressed by the government that are relevant to our agenda.

Question: What's your assessment of Labour in terms of successes and failures?

Brendan Barber:Well, there's been quite a number of important successes. First of all, although there are some pockets of high unemployment in some parts of the country employment levels are at record highs. We're getting very close to what economists would regard as full employment. That's a huge achievement.

We had a conference in 1995 where we talked about full employment and a lot of commentators at that time scoffed and said 'this shows how unrealistic the TUC is to even talk about full employment as a possibility'.

Major progress has been made in terms of the public services. A real commitment to investment in the public services, long-term expenditure plans for year-on-year increases in funding. And there's the prospect in the next five years or so of 400,000 extra jobs delivered in the public services.

The third key area, in terms of our concern about fairness at work, we've seen significant improvements in labour law. Not everything we'd have like to see but some important moves forward including the law on union recognition.

Question: Where do you think the government has gone wrong?

Brendan Barber:There's a concern around the trade union movement that the government is too prepared to give attention to some of the kind of business lobbying and the complaints about the so-called burden on business and red-tape.

On a number of issues we think they could have been bolder. One area where we had a difficult debate with the government was the role of employment tribunals. The CBI was complaining there were too many cases being taken into the tribunal system. We think the CBI's lobbying was just ill-informed and rather negative on that issue.

Question: Do you think the government's has been too impressed by big business?

Brendan Barber:Sometimes yes. We think they've been over-preoccupied with trying to respond to some of the concerns the business lobby have articulated. That's one of the things that have done some damage to the relationship between the government and the unions.

Question: What issue do you think is important for the future?

Brendan Barber:We are looking for further moves to be made in the area of rights at work. In particular for workers to be informed and consulted on key issues affecting their workplace. That will bring us into line with most European practice. It would be an important step forward.

Question: What changes would you like to see to the minimum wage?

Brendan Barber:The minimum wage has broadly been a success story and we must never forget that. It was introduced in the face of fierce opposition from the business community. Though increasingly employers now say that they accept that it's been a reasonable innovation and hasn't had the terribly damaging effects that were predicted when it was first introduced.

But there are issues there where we aren't full satisfied. We think that young people could be treated better than they are in the current arrangement. On issues like that we'll keep fighting our corner and pressing our case.

Question: How good are relations with ministers at the moment?

Brendan Barber:Clearly there have been tensions in recent weeks. I'm very anxious to try and improve the relations, to put the contacts on a more systematic basis, to try to ensure that we try to reach some understandings with the government about key areas where things can be moved forward in a positive way from our point of view so we've got success stories to talk about rather than always having to focus on some of the problem areas.

My sense is that Tony Blair wants to try to get the relationship back on a more even keel as well. I will certainly be working hard with him to achieve that."

Question: Do you think the government got its handling of the fire dispute wrong?

Brendan Barber:Yes. I was critical of the government. At some stages during the fire dispute the language got rather hard in a way that I don't think was helpful. I think it's fair to say that there's been some drawing back from both sides.

"The FBU found themselves in tough battle with criticism coming from the government and they were punching back in return there's no doubt about that. But both sides, I think, have wanted to lower the temperature a little bit to create the best chance for the negotiations to succeed.

Question: Are the talks going find a solution?

Brendan Barber:I think when ACAS made their intervention and invited both sides to open a new negotiating process, it was clear that both sides thought it was the right way to move it on rather than continuing slugging it out. I'm hopeful. Clearly there are some difficult issues that they're going to have to work through.

Question: Have the unions lost the public sector versus private sector argument?

Brendan Barber:No I think it would be too simple to say that there's a battle that's been won or lost. I think there is a key outstanding issue which is the union's concern over the two-tier workforce. Services are brought in by new private contract with new employees brought in on totally different terms and conditions to established workers.

That's a very unhealthy development and the government has said it wants to address that. There have been discussions but they haven't been concluded and the sooner we can get a clear understanding on what's going to be done to provide proper protection then that will be a very important thing that would help to settle some of this debate about the public services and private sector involvement.

Question: What are your thoughts on the issue of unions funding the Labour Party?

Brendan Barber:Party funding is a matter for the unions which are affiliated to the Labour Party. The TUC doesn't have a relationship with the Labour Party of that sort. We're not affiliated. Many of the unions that are linked to use are not affiliated to the Labour Party. It's important to set that straight.

As a general observation I think if there are impressions that unions are seeking to use party funding as leverage to buy policy change or anything of that sort then I think that would be a very negative implication.

I think that's the general view of unions. They are not looking to have a relationship with the government of that sort at all.

Question: Have unions changed and how do you see the future?

Brendan Barber:They have changed and have changed for the better. They are continuing to change pretty radically in a number of ways. Unions are very much interested in working with employers to produce a partnership where the union role is very much looking to address the issues of their members that goes beyond the traditional adversorial bargaining relationship that produces a pay rise every 12 months. That doesn't address all the other things which members are concerned over such as the quality of their working life, working time, looking at new more flexible ways of working that can fit in better with the demands of family life. Also there's the concerns people have about how they improve their skills.

Unions are increasingly addressing things in new and innovative ways and getting different kinds of relationships with employers to deliver for members.

Question: Do you think we will have a euro referendum in 2003?

Brendan Barber:My guess would be yes but clearly that depends on what's going to happen in the assessment. Everybody is looking to that with great interest.

Our line is positive towards the euro. If the assessment, which has to be completed by the middle of next year, comes out positively - and that's obviously the first thing now to move the issue forward - I think we will be playing a positive role in the subsequent referendum campaign.

Question:You've been described as a 'Blairite'. How true in that?

Brendan Barber: I'm not attracted by labels. I think labels tend to confuse rather than illuminate these things.