Welcoming over 2500 trade union delegates to the opening of the UNI World Congress, Labour Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said, ‘I am so pleased that so many leading trade unionists are here in Liverpool, one of the most progressive cities in the world’.

Anderson outlined the strong union history of the city and his own trade union past, evoking the 1911 Strike as a turning point in Liverpool’s labour history.

“Our struggle for trade union rights dates back to 1911 – in 1911, the union movement organized a general transport strike which succeeded in changing the face of a nation. The 1911 strike changed trade union history in Great Britain and the struggle for labour rights.”

On the new world of work, Anderson said that Liverpool are committed to providing its people with the tools to successfully navigate the challenges of the digital revolution.

“We have been inspired by our conversations with Philip Jennings and UNI,” said Anderson. “Trade unions are fundamental in tackling the future and as a city, we must work with our unions to ensure that the Liverpudlian people have the means and the tools to face the changes we face in the new era of digitalization.”