Trade unions have roundly rejected Nigel Farage’s call for them to affiliate to Reform UK, branding the party “cosplayers” of workers’ interests and pointing to its record of opposing employment rights. In a coordinated response, leaders of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Unison, GMB, Unite, Community, the Fire Brigades Union and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association all rebuffed the overture, accusing Reform of being bankrolled by corporate interests and hostile to the fundamental protections working people rely on.
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said Farage’s past comments on workers’ rights legislation and his plans to repeal the Equality Act “speak for themselves”. “Let’s be crystal clear: Reform are no friends of working people,” Nowak said. “If they were, they wouldn’t be planning to rip up workers’ rights like day‑one sick pay and protection from fire‑and‑rehire and zero‑hours contracts.” He added: “Reform can cosplay as champions of workers all they like. But the reality is they’re bankrolled by corporate interests and crypto billionaires who want the rules rigged even further in favour of the rich and powerful, not working people.” TUC sources also highlighted comments from Reform’s Andrea Jenkyns, who said last year: “I’ll be honest with you, I don’t like trade unions,” and criticised the Employment Rights Bill.
Unison’s general secretary, Andrea Egan, described Farage’s approach as a “con”. “It’s a con to think Nigel Farage and his rich cronies are interested in unions for anything but cold, hard cash,” she said. “They don’t believe in basic rights or fair pay and consistently voted against every measure to improve them.” Unison has since launched a network aimed at countering Reform UK’s influence among its members. Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said: “If I had a pound for every politician who said they are the party of workers I’d be a rich woman. Reform have shown absolutely no evidence that they are friends of workers. Not signing up to the Employment Rights Act, inferring privatisation of the NHS and threatening local authority pensions seems the exact opposite.”
Gary Smith, general secretary of GMB, called Reform “rebadged Tories”. “Mr Farage and his Reform MPs say one thing to workers and do another,” Smith told the Guardian. “They voted against sick pay and other essential safeguards. They even want to prevent people organising to make work better at places like Amazon. We see them for what they are – rebadged Tories after union members’ basic rights.” Alisdair McDiarmid, assistant general secretary of Community, which represents steelworkers Farage has pledged to support, called the intervention “farcical”. “The Reform party has consistently voted against the interests of working‑class people while under his leadership. It is clear Farage will say whatever it takes to win votes, but workers will see through his misrepresentations.” The Fire Brigades Union described Farage as a “Thatcherite who is an enemy of trade unions”, adding: “Firefighters and other workers will see this ludicrous stunt for what it is by a party led by multimillionaires that is a threat to the working class.” Ian Murray, the FBU president, warned that a Reform government would be a “disaster” for workers and a “serious threat to the very existence of trade unions”. Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, said her members “will not be conned by this ridiculously desperate gimmick from Farage”.
Farage’s open offer
In an interview with the Times, Farage said union leaders were “spending their members’ money on policies that their members do not support” and suggested one union may be on the brink of affiliating. He announced: “We will extend an open offer to trade unions to apply – in good faith – for affiliation to Reform UK. Second, we invite the unions to attend Reform UK’s national conference in September, and engage in discussing the policies of a future Reform government.” Farage pointed to councils Reform now runs that employ tens of thousands of unionised workers, including bin collectors, social workers, care staff and school support workers. “Unlike the snobbish Tories of old, we will never treat organised labour with contempt,” he said. “If you represent working people in this country, my door is open. The doors of every Reform council leader from Sunderland to Sandwell are open.” He added that the party wanted “to ensure that what happens in Westminster finally reflects the interests of the working majority”.
Core reasons for union hostility: rights, records and backers
Union leaders have centred their rejection on what they see as Reform UK’s consistent opposition to measures that strengthen workers’ rights. The party has pledged to scrap the Employment Rights Act 2025, which introduced a raft of new protections including day‑one sick pay, safeguards against fire‑and‑rehire tactics and guaranteed hours for workers on zero‑hours contracts. Reform UK politicians have also voted against these measures in Parliament, according to union accounts. Andrea Jenkyns has publicly stated her dislike of trade unions and criticised stronger employment protections, while Nigel Farage himself said in March 2025 that a Reform government would “go to war with these leftwing teaching unions”, accusing them of “poisoning the minds of young people”.
Beyond voting records, unions have highlighted Reform UK’s stance on public services and pensions. The Fire Brigades Union noted that Reform has been open about its desire to cut public‑sector pensions, with deputy leader Richard Tice making that a signature policy. Unison has also drawn attention to Reform’s plans to reduce the value of public‑sector pensions, which would hit millions of workers who rely on them. The party’s position on the NHS – Unite’s Sharon Graham cited “inferring privatisation of the NHS” – and its broader corporate backing have been called into question. The TUC says Reform is “bankrolled by corporate interests and crypto billionaires”, a charge echoed by Unison’s Andrea Egan, who spoke of “rich cronies”.
Labour Party chair Anna Turley weighed in, saying Farage had threatened to strip away “vital changes which are set to benefit 15 million workers across the country. Farage and Reform have promised to strip all these hard‑won rights away and instead they are determined to hand out tax cuts to foreign billionaires. That’s bereavement leave, maternity and paternity rights, and sick pay all at risk if Reform won power.”
The union backlash comes against a backdrop of shifting loyalties. A JL Partners poll conducted for the Times found Labour and Reform UK tied at 28 per cent of the trade union vote each, with members of Unite and GMB more likely to back Reform. The survey has been described as a wake‑up call for Labour, though union leaders make clear they see Reform’s appeal as a mirage. As Gary Smith put it: “Mr Farage and his Reform MPs say one thing to workers and do another.”
