Conwy County Borough Council has made a landmark commitment to the Welsh language by signing the TUC Cymru Twf Charter, a formal pledge that places the Welsh language at the heart of its working culture.
The Twf Charter, officially known as the Welsh Language at Work Charter, is a TUC Cymru initiative designed to encourage employers across Wales to actively promote and grow the use of Welsh in their day-to-day operations. By signing the charter, Conwy Council is sending a clear signal that bilingualism is not simply a box-ticking exercise but a genuine organisational value.
The signing marks a significant moment for one of north Wales’s largest public sector employers, committing the council to working in close partnership with trade unions, their members, and all staff to build a more inclusive and bilingual workplace environment.
At its core, the charter is about more than policy documents and official communications. It is about creating the conditions in which Welsh-speaking employees feel confident and encouraged to use their language naturally at work, whether in meetings, in correspondence, or in everyday conversation with colleagues.
Conwy’s decision to sign the charter reflects a broader national push to reach the Welsh Government’s ambitious target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050. Public sector bodies across Wales are increasingly being called upon to lead by example, and councils like Conwy are seen as crucial drivers of that cultural and linguistic shift.
Trade unions have long been advocates for the Welsh language in the workplace, arguing that employees should never feel that speaking Welsh puts them at a disadvantage or marks them out as different. The Twf Charter formalises that principle, creating a framework through which councils and unions can work together constructively to support language growth.
For Conwy, a county that straddles both Welsh-speaking heartland communities and more anglicised coastal towns, the commitment carries particular weight. The council serves a diverse population with varying levels of Welsh language ability, and fostering a bilingual workforce means meeting employees and residents wherever they are on that linguistic journey.
The charter encourages employers to take practical steps, from offering Welsh language training and learning opportunities to ensuring that Welsh speakers are not overlooked in recruitment or progression. It also promotes a culture where switching between Welsh and English is seen as a strength rather than a source of confusion or division.
Union representatives have welcomed the move, describing it as a positive step toward ensuring that Welsh-speaking workers in Conwy feel genuinely valued. For many employees, being able to work in their first language is not a luxury but a matter of dignity and identity.
Conwy joins a growing list of Welsh employers, both in the public and private sectors, who have committed to the Twf Charter since its launch. Each new signatory adds momentum to what supporters hope will become a widespread cultural shift in how Welsh is perceived and used in professional settings across the country.
The council’s leadership has emphasised that signing the charter is just the beginning. The real work lies in embedding its principles into everyday practice, ensuring that the commitment translates into meaningful change for employees at every level of the organisation.
With Welsh language policy continuing to evolve and public expectations rising, Conwy’s decision to align itself formally with the Twf Charter positions the council as a forward-thinking employer, one that recognises the Welsh language not as a burden but as an asset worth nurturing and celebrating.