The full text of TGWU general secretary Bill Morris's speech to the TUC congress on employment rights.

"Congress, In previous reports to Congress on Rights at Work, I described the 1999 Employment Relations Act as the first step and not the last word.

The General Council now believes that the time has come for a further step to be taken.

So, today, I want to report to you on a year of not only consolidation but also a year of solid preparation.

Today, I can report that the new trade union recognition scheme has been a success story.

In its first two years of operation, the Central Arbitration Committee has made twenty-three awards of recognition in workplaces where the employer would never have let a union darken its doors without the new legislation.

But, success in industrial relations is never judged only by law.

More importantly, each year has seen a major growth in the number of voluntary agreements signed. This year saw a 300 per cent increase on last year. Few of these would have been reached if it were not for the legislation.

Tens of thousands of new workers can now turn to their union for help and support at work.

During the Congress year, an Employment Bill which was good in parts, with new parental rights, and new rights to time off for union learning reps, was introduced.

On the down side, we have seen a group of workers from Friction Dynamics sacked for taking legal industrial action despite meeting each dot and every comma of the legal requirement. These are members of my Union and I am proud that some of them are with us today.

There will be a collection for them at the end of this morning's session and I urge all delegates to show their support.

Congress, if this is indicative of one thing, it is indicative of the need for an active and united trade union Movement to speak out against injustices in the workplace and to campaign to persuade our government to put the protection of workers at the top of their agenda.

We have worked hard this year building a coalition of support for the TUC Employment Rights Campaign, based on the resolution carried last year.

The TUC Charter, 'Modern Rights for Modern Workplaces'. goals.

This gives us a solid base for the year ahead as the review of the Employment Relations Act takes place. As I said, it is a first step, not a last word.

But, let's be honest, it has been an encouraging first step.

However, despite the achievements under this government, we still need some fundamental changes to employment law as outlined in the Charter.

We need flexible working to allow everyone enough time for family life.

But the message from this conference is that, for the coming year, we have an agenda too.

• We want an end to the opt out in the Working Time Regulations.

• We want our legal framework to match up to ILO standards and indeed to best European practice.

We are determined that the on-going review of employment status should be proper protection in law to all employees.

Employees without rights are often called casual workers: which reflects employers' attitudes towards them rather than their actual status.

Congress, only in the UK do we still have a legal definition based on masters and servants!

We are committed to see the review of employment status providing improved conditions for agency workers and look forward to a strong agency workers Directive from Europe.

But even if we are successful in getting all we asked for, friends, legislation can only provide a framework for change. The rest will be down to us.

Let us remember, legislation does not recruit members or organise the workplace. We must do that and we must do it relentlessly.

But it is the EU Directive on Information and Consultation which is perhaps the most important challenge to us in the year ahead.

I refer you to the statement on pages 17 and 18 of the General Council report.

Our task next year is to persuade the government and employers that the Information and Consultation Directive is a tool for building good relationships at work to deliver success.

There are, of course, important potential advantages for us in this Directive. Having legislation guaranteeing a right to workplace representation provides a half open door if the implementing legislation is robust.

So, we must be ready to take advantage of every opportunity presented and push open every door.

Next year we will concentrate our efforts on the review in getting the law right. But we must, at the same time, prepare ourselves organisationally. This is a major task but one for which I believe we are ready for

We will establish some basic principles for the transposition of these Directives in to UK law. These are set out in the General Council statement.

Our goal must be a robust implementation, which enhances existing union recognition and bargaining arrangements and provides new rights.

Congress, I commend the General Council statement on Information and Consultation to you, together with the rest of Chapter One of the General Council Report. I ask you also to support Composite One.

We need justice in the workplace. Nothing else will do."