The Trades Union Congress

The TUC is the voice of Britain at work. With 58 affiliated unions representing 6.2 million working people from all walks of life, it campaigns for a fair deal at work and for social justice at home and abroad.

The Trades Union Congress:

• brings Britain’s unions together to draw up common policies
• lobbies the Government to implement policies that will benefit people at work
• campaigns on economic and social issues
• represents working people on public bodies
• represents British workers in international bodies, in the European Union and at the UN employment body - the International Labour Organisation
• carries out research on employment -related issues
• runs an extensive training and education programme for union representatives
• helps unions develop new services for their members
• helps unions avoid clashes with each other
• builds links with other trade union bodies worldwide

You can read the TUC's full rules and standing orders.

The policy making body of the TUC is the annual Congress which meets for four days each year during September. Each affiliated union can send delegates to Congress - the larger the union, the more it can send. At Congress 'motions' (resolutions for debate) are proposed and discussed. These form the basis of the TUC's work for the next year.

You can view video highlights and interviews from previous Congresses at CongressTV.tv

This year's Congress will be held at the Manchester Central Convention Complex from the 13th - 16th September More information

General Council
TUC policy is set by Congress each year, but between Congresses this responsibility lies with the General Council. Its 56 members meet every two months at Congress house to oversee the TUC's work programme and sanction new policy initiatives. The larger unions are automatically represented on the General Council, with up to ten members depending on the size of the union. The smaller unions ballot for a number of reserved places. There are also seats reserved for women and black workers, and a reserved space for one representative each of young workers, workers with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers.

The President and Executive Committee
Each year at its first post-Congress meeting, the General Council appoints the Executive Committee for the year from amongst its own members. This meets monthly to implement and develop policy, manage the TUC financial affairs and deal with any urgent business. In the same session, the General Council also elects the TUC President for that Congress year. She or he chairs General Council and Executive meetings and is consulted by the General Secretary on all major issues.

Task groups and Committees
Task groups are set up by the General Council to deal with specific areas of policy such as learning and skills or representation at work. Committees are permanent bodies which link to other parts of the trade union movement. The Women's Committee includes members elected at the annual TUC Women's Conference as well as General Council members. The Race Relations Committee, the Disability Committte and the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender Committee have similar links to their own conferences. The Young Members' Forum also reports to the General Council, as does the body representing Trades Union Councils (local trade union bodies).

A full list of the members of the TUC's General Council, Executive, the chairs of each committee and TUC staff can be found in our annual 'TUC Directory', which is available from our Publications Department

Contact the TUC

Trades Union Congress

Congress House
Great Russell Street
London
WC1B 3LS
Tel: 020 7636 4030
Fax: 020 7636 0632

Map of Location

Transport for London's journey planner

To email comments or make an enquiry to the TUC, please use the contact form.

For TUC in the regions see here.

TUC Brussels office
International Trade Union House
Rooms 409 / 411
Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5
B-1210
Brussels