The new leader of the TUC has accused the Government of failing to deliver fairness at work and being too ready to believe "bleating" from employers about red tape.

Brendan Barber, in his first speech to the TUC Congress in Brighton as general secretary yesterday, said there were tensions and "lots of frustration" in the relationship between the Government and unions.

Those tensions would be evident during the Brighton conference this week when delegates were expected to criticise government policies on a range of issues including the reform of public services and employment rights.

"The Government has still failed to deliver all the fairness at work we demand and is still too ready to believe employer bleating about so-called red tape."

Mr Barber said public sector reform seemed to have been "imposed" on workers rather than managed with them.

He said unions would have to press their case with the Government with "passion and commitment" and talk straight when they think ministers have got it wrong.

But Mr Barber said unions would be selling their own efforts short if they ignored areas where progress had been made such as enforcement of the minimum wage and new rights for working parents to request flexible working.

Mr Barber issued a stark warning to the Government over its reform of public services.

"If the increased funding they are pumping in - funding to provide 400,000 new public servants - failed to deliver visible improvements they will pay a devastating political price.

"It wouldn't be just the Government that pays the price, it would be everyone who believes in public services because the right wing ideologues would take us in a very different direction."

Mr Barber said he hoped the recently announced forum on public services, agreed after a meeting with the Prime Minister, would open a new chapter and a new way of working together.

"I say to ministers the stakes are very high. That is why I say to the Government, work with us and win the support of the workforce."

Tuesday September 9, 2003