UCATT general secretary Steve Murphy highlighted yesterday the importance of union activism to help fight for workers in an industry rife with exploitation.

In his keynote speech to his union’s conference, Mr Murphy said the union has dramatically stepped up its campaigning activity, without which the scourges of blacklisting, zero-hours contracts and erosion of health and safety would go unchecked.

“One of our key tasks is spotting, developing and training new activists,” he said.

Mr Murphy also praised the rise of social media that has brought with it a new age of “digital activism” in sticking up for workers’ rights.

And he reiterated the vital importance of Ucatt’s link to Labour, “the only party which has ever delivered for working people.”

He said Labour’s pledge to build 200,000 homes by 2020 would not have come without the union’s lobbying.

Mr Murphy added that the current government is “the most right wing I have ever known” and must be defeated in next May’s general election to bring an end to its “war on the poor by the rich.”