When vying to become Prime Minister, Theresa May promised to boost ordinary workers by giving them a say in how their companies are run. But faced with a huge meeting of big business leaders this week, she started backtracking.

Theresa May made a promise when she was campaigning to become our Prime Minister. Now she’s got what she wanted, we have to remind her of that promise. We can’t let her junk workers’ rights. 

Theresa May styled herself as on the side of working people. But when push comes to shove, she’s running scared of big money. Standing in front of hundreds of corporate bosses, she buckled. 

Workers’ representation on company boards could be a bulwark against inequality. It’d mean corporate decisions taken with ordinary people in mind -- not just the wallets of big shareholders. That’s why Theresa May flirted with the idea, but also why vested interests are fighting it hard.

Theresa May’s policy is in a mess. During her speech, she “categorically” told bosses there’d be no appointment of workers to boards. But afterwards, she said she did want workers represented, but that there are “other routes” and she’d be “consulting later”. 

Right now Theresa May’s thinking is in flux, and she could still side with everyday workers not big bosses. If together we speak out, we can bump her into committing to her original plans. She can resist the corporate power clamouring at her, if thousands of us publicly back those plans. 

The SumOfUs community often fights bad board decisions that threaten rights and livelihoods. With workers in those meetings, making the case for ordinary people and not shareholder profit, many of those bad decisions might be avoided. Backing these plans goes hand in hand with our shared vision of a society that values people over profit.