GMB Chief Slams Reform UK for Failing Workers

In a sharp political intervention, GMB General Secretary Gary Smith has delivered a strong rebuke to Reform UK, warning that the party is no friend to working people. The union leader criticised the party’s record on workers’ rights and accused it of turning its back on the very people it claims to represent.

Smith’s comments come at a time when political debate over employment rights, fair wages, and job security is intensifying across the UK. Speaking on behalf of one of the country’s largest trade unions, he highlighted that Reform UK has repeatedly opposed legislative efforts aimed at improving working conditions, including a proposed Employment Rights Bill that sought to ban exploitative zero-hours contracts and protect workers from harassment on the job. By voting against such initiatives, Smith argued, the party has made its priorities clear—and they do not include the welfare of ordinary workers.

He questioned the party’s credibility when it comes to standing up for the working class. According to him, their voting history and public statements reveal a consistent pattern of siding against measures designed to improve labor rights. Smith argued that real support for working people is demonstrated through policy, not just populist slogans or soundbites. He added that workers across the country are not just looking for promises—they are looking for concrete action that guarantees them stability, dignity, and safety in their workplaces.

Smith’s remarks also signal a growing divide between trade unions and political movements that present themselves as champions of the working class while resisting policies that would enhance workers’ protections. The GMB union, which represents over 600,000 members across critical industries like manufacturing, retail, energy, and public services, has been a vocal advocate for stronger employment laws, collective bargaining rights, and secure contracts.

He further warned that stripping back employment protections under the guise of deregulation or “cutting red tape” would only lead to greater inequality and hardship, particularly for those already struggling in low-paid or insecure jobs. The cost-of-living crisis, inflation pressures, and rising job precarity have already placed enormous stress on workers and their families, and Smith made it clear that weakening their rights would only deepen that crisis.

As the political climate heats up, the GMB leader made a broader appeal to workers not to be swayed by parties that fail to show up when it matters most. He encouraged working people to scrutinize political records, not just campaign rhetoric. In his words, trust must be earned not through talk, but through action that uplifts and protects the backbone of the country’s economy—its workers.