UNION leaders are converging on York today as the TUC brings its regional annual general meeting to the city.

The Royal York Hotel is preparing for the arrival of almost 200 delegates as the Yorkshire and Humber region annual general meeting of the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

A number of high-profile guest speakers will be attending the event to speak on a range of subjects of interest to both trade union members and the wider Yorkshire public.

After a welcome from York MP Hugh Bayley, national president of the TUC and general secretary of Union, Dave Prentis, will start proceedings with a speech on employment rights, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Later in the morning, the Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber, Caroline Flint, will be talking to conference delegates about regional governance, followed by fellow Yorkshire MP Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Families and Schools, who will be making a speech on child poverty.

The event is sponsored by Yorkshire solicitors Morrish & Co.

Jamie Hanley, partner and head of client relations at the firm, said: "The firm has a long history of working with trade union clients and provides legal support to over a dozen such organisations. We are sole providers to a number of trade unions covering a variety of sectors. Most recently we added the performers' union, Equity, to our roster of clients.

"Though York remains a thriving commercial centre and tourist destination, it has suffered more than its share of economic setbacks in recent years. The job losses at Nestlé Rowntree, Norwich Union and British Sugar in 2006 were a severe blow to the prosperity of the city.

"In each of those cases trade union representatives were on hand to support the workforce and try to secure the best outcome at a difficult time. That's why it's appropriate to be holding this event in York, where trade unions have defended the rights of workers in the recent past and will do so in the years ahead."

It's the job of the TUC to bring together British unions to draw up common policies and lobby the Government to implement policies that will benefit people at work.