AGM 2025

Hope in the British trade union movement: reflections on the Bakers, Food & Allied Workers’ Union 2025 AGM

by Nell Benney

In June 2025, I attended the 106th Bakers, Food & Allied Workers’ Union Annual Conference on behalf of SALT. It is the first year we as SALT branch have sent a delegate and I wasn’t sure what to expect from the week’s events. It ran from Saturday to Thursday, and I went there with little knowledge of how I’d be spending my days and evenings, or what participating in the democracy of the wider union would look like. The AGM opened on Sunday with an address by the President Ian Hodson. His speech set the tone for the rest of the conference, speaking passionately for class solidarity, while also calling out rising transphobia, racism and discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability. There were many nods and general agreement in the room, and as a first-time delegate and a queer woman, this felt important to make me feel welcome and at ease in the space. The delegates there skewed older, white, and male, though there were a significant number of white women and BPOC folks.

Delegates sat on tables that were designated to regions. There are seven regions, each reflecting a different part of the UK. The exception to this is region 6 (our region), which is a national region. SALT branch and the Sex Workers’ Union (SWU) are the only branches in this region. As there were sadly no delegates from the SWU this year, it was just me in region six, so I joined a table of delegates from regions 2 and 7. Each day was spent going through the motions submitted by branches or regions. These ranged from policies about the union’s balloting procedure, to lobbying for a four-day working week, to demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. A delegate would go to the podium to explain the motion and argue for its implementation, then the floor would be open for delegates to come forward to make statements in support or in opposition. Any first-time speaker would get an enthusiastic round of applause. The votes would be a simple majority, except for rule changes which would require a two thirds majority.

Participating in this form of direct democracy felt simple, clear, and efficient. Delegates made their case, the executive council explained their position, we would vote and move on. In the afternoon, we would go to fringe events with guest speakers, such as Climate Strike or our solicitors Thompsons. One of the fringe events I attended was run by the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU). Gawain Litte, the General Secretary of the GFTU led us through the key principles necessary for people to collectivise and mobilise. These are:

1) A sense of injustice

2) Someone to blame (this can also be a group)

3) An organisation through which to challenge injustice

4) The confidence that action will or could have an impact

5) The existence of local leaders

Gawain stressed that it didn’t need to be a personal grievance, that people would organise because of their collective sense of injustice, and to not downplay how strong this can be. The last three points felt important for our sector, where many people feel that there is no possibility for change. SALT’s work is trying to provide some structure and leadership for this workers’ resistance, but it feels small and hugely under-resourced. There is a massive need for leaders within workplaces, not just for the SALT branch to provide the answers and support for those who need help. This will come in time, but is also a wider problem within a sector where contracts are often fixed, seasonal, part time or insecure.

This relates to one of my clearest thoughts coming away from the conference. There is a real failure within trade unions to deal with workers that are not a large, recognised workforce. Recognition for a trade union in a workplace means that workers who are a part of a union get paid time off for union activities. This means that most people at the conference were paid for their time there, unlike me. I do not think it is a coincidence that the SWU were not there this year as they are comprised of precarious, self-employed workers, so anyone joining would have to take the financial hit of not being at work. To be honest, before the conference I felt apprehensive about going, knowing that I was taking a chunk out of my holiday days for the year.

Though we hope to get recognition agreements, it is likely that many of our members will always be in unrecognised workplaces or be self-employed. As most of our members work in small workplaces, they would require voluntary recognition (on the goodwill of the employers) rather than being able to demand it once union members make up the majority of the workforce. Both Sarah Woolley (our General Secretary) and Ian Hodson were receptive to talking about this issue, and I have hope that we can work out how to include non-recognised members better in future years. SALT is proposing a change to the rules that branches can split the time between different delegates so that we won’t need to take so much time off. This is an ongoing conversation, but it may not be able to be implemented until after the next AGM.

Throughout the conference there were many calls not just for decent work, but for dignified work. In the land working communities that I’ve worked in, there is this sense that even to get minimum wage is a huge achievement, and to even dream of much else is not possible, or too much. Other delegates spoke about how important it is that those who work with their bodies receive adequate pay, proper pensions, and a lower retirement age. I heard some shocking statistics about how life expectancy is about ten years lower for those in manual trades.

In the evening there was some form of entertainment: a chicken-themed quiz night, bingo, karaoke, and music. Though I didn’t always have the energy to stay up late, there was a friendly atmosphere around that I felt I could join in if I had the beans.

I left the conference feeling more hopeful for the state of the left in Britain than I have in years. Being around so many delegates with strong, uncompromising socialist values and a leadership committed not just to improving the workplaces of our members, but to encouraging wider societal change, I could feel deep in my bones why trade unions are such important spaces. Next year we should be able to bring a few more delegates, and if folks are able to, I’d really recommend it as a way to understand the wider union community.