Next month's TUC congress in Brighton will hear calls for workers to have the right to take part in secondary or "solidarity" industrial action.

The final agenda for the conference also reveals unions will demand a national march be held next year in support of further trade union and employment rights.

The country's pensions crisis, the loss of jobs in manufacturing, the UK's long hours culture and concerns over the "export" of jobs to countries including India will also feature strongly at the annual gathering of union activists.

The very first debate on September 8 could be the most controversial of the week because of a call by the Transport and General Workers Union that unions should have the right to engage in secondary industrial action.

The demand will sound alarm bells across industry because business leaders would see secondary action as a return to the industrial climate of the Seventies which they believe could hit jobs and investment.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union, led by Left winger Bob Crow, has tabled a motion describing the "lack of progress" in repealing anti-union legislation as "unacceptable".

Amicus will suggest the appointment of a minister for manufacturing and extra investment as well as a 35-hour week for workers in the sector.

Wednesday August 20, 2003