Bulletin of Socialist Party members in Fighting Alternative Still Needed Despite Delegates Anger at ADM

Over 600 delegates and 500 visitors and officials attended USDAWs 66th Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) in late April. During the past few months key issues have been raised facing retail workers such as workfare, store closures, attacks on pensions in Tesco and other matters. Yet these issues were either not dealt in favour of other equally serious issues, such as the Civil Injuries Compensation Scheme or Sunday Trading, with which the union leadership could bash the Tories without taking up the equally important task of taking on our employers. Instead of presenting a fighting strategy to defeat such attacks, they attempted to channel efforts into electing a New Labour government in 3 years time. Whilst USDAW members are rightly angry at the attacks of employers and those of the government on benefits as well as public services (ADM passed motions condemning cuts and privatisation in the NHS and the closure of the Remploy network), the failure of the leadership to offer a concrete way to fight on these issues was reflected during the course of the conference. The top table were overturned on five occasions and changed their position mid-debate on two occasions. On several occasions the defeat of the leadership was cheered by many in the hall, a sign of the frustration of many members at the lacklustre efforts of the present leadership to stop the bosses onslaught. Partnership agreements were one of the things that came under attack (see article below) as were the anti-union laws that Labour failed to repeal during their 13year tenure in office. Yet what was being concretely put forward by the propositions was very limited such as just asking t h a t Labour includes repealing the antiunion laws in its manifesto. an organised left presence at the conference. The vacant seat at the top table that would have been occupied by Socialist Party member Robbie Segal, had her health allowed, symbolised this. The nearest thing to a mention of socialism came when the fraternal speaker from South Africa finished his contribution with the closing lines of the Communist Manifesto - Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains you have a world to win. Yet the possibility of filling this vacuum was shown by the snapping up of the hundreds of copies of the ADM special of the Activist and the good sales of the Socialist and the new pamphlet by Robbie (see advert). We urge all supporters of the Activist to mobilise to attend next years ADM and put in propositions that offer a concrete strategy to fight the problems besetting USDAW members.

the Activist

Issue 33 Post-ADM Special

In part this weak ness is due to the lack of (020 8988 8777 ) Next year Activist supporters must get their voices heard at the conference. bookshop@socialistparty.org.uk
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New pamphlet Available for 2 from Socialist Books now

Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW

ADM Revolts Against Partnership

As supporters of the Activist have pointed out over the course of the past few years, the leaderships policy of Social Partnership has meant attacks on the terms, conditions and pay of USDAW members. Activist supporter, Robbie Segal, made the fight against partnership a key plank of her campaign for General Secretary in 2008 where she won 40% of the vote against the Hannett clique (Robbies article written during the campaign was recently reprinted in issue 27 of the Activist and can be v i e w e d a t www.usdawactivist.wordpress. com). Tescos sense of partnership was demonstrated by unilaterally announcing attacks on pensions. Many staff have little idea when or how many hours they are working each week. desperation amongst many USDAW members, as one delegate expressed Partnership sounds great in theory, but in practice it doesnt work for us. This even led a group of transport workers from one depot, so frustrated by the signing of a contract with appalling terms and conditions before they even started work at their current depot, to put forward a proposition suggesting scrapping of collective agreements as it is seen as a noose over their ability to negotiate with management. Whilst this proposition fell, the leadership felt the need to change their position mid-debate on an earlier proposition that was specific to relocation of Tesco depots. After Jeff Broome repeatedly stated that the EC were opposing the proposition, Paddy Lillis stated they were now supporting when he replied to the debate!

A motion, opposed by the unions Executive Council (EC), calling for a halt to the undermining of full-time work, by calling for a minimum percentage of staff to be employed full-time was passed by 2/3rds majority to cheers from those assembled. Just how discredited the unions efforts in Tescos are were shown when one of the speakers who is on the Tesco forums flexi working group Over the past period as well apologised for it! They felt able to do this because the as signing partnership deals proposition posed entering into rewith major retailers such as But members in warehouses negotiations with management, which would Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsburys and distribution have had their undoubtedly will result in a dead end, instead and others have meant the terms hit even worse as erosion of terms and companies have built new of proposing a serious strategy, backed up conditions within stores, in depots and re-employed any by industrial action, that could use the particular with the introduction staff wishing to transfer on unions muscle and organisation to demand of flexible contracts and much worse terms and conditions that retail and distributive workers workers only being contracted conditions compared to the deserve. After all, the Sparks (construction for a minimal numbers of old depots. This has led to a electricians) beat off the threat of imposed hours per week. Lately, feeling of frustration and even new contracts with worse terms and conditions which included potential pay cuts of up to 35% by the combination of the threat of industrial action and a serious programme of protests targeting companies they were in dispute with. We need that sort of fighting strategy to defeat these attacks too.

Sparks protest against Morrisons after they signed a contract with NG Baileys - one of companies attacking their pay and conditions.

6th annual conference takes place on Saturday 9th June, Friends Meeting House, Euston Rd, London - 11am-4pm Speakers include: Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary; Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary; and a rank and file construction electrician See www.shopstewards.net for info

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Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW

A Contribution on USDAWs Youth Campaigning

I read the article on some proposals in Activist 32 to develop the campaign amongst young workers with interest. At our last divisional youth committee meeting we were consulted for ideas on how the union could reach out to more young people. In my opinion, one of the key things is increasing the unions profile, particularly by campaigning on issues that matter to young people such as EMA, tuition fees, against lower youth rates of pay. young union activists. This is also helped by meeting up socially outside the youth committee meetings, as well as attending STUC youth events as a delegation. It struck me as well that much of the activities that the youth committees are involved in is mainly union awareness raising as well as fundraising for charity, indeed the latter was the main activity of the unions National Youth Committee members at ADM. The energies of the unions youth should also be pushed outwards, both within the union by having a Youth fringe at ADM which can discuss the issues affecting young union members as well as having youth organisers in every branch to make sure these issues are reflected in all the unions campaigning. workers today. An excellent opportunity to do this would be to have a youth conference to launch the new drive to recruit young workers with a much larger representation than the current youth weekend. This could discuss such issues in depth but also discuss working with other bodies such as TUC Youth Forums and campaigns like Youth Fight for Jobs which have taken a lead on campaigning against workfare.

On several occasions, it has been mentioned to me that in Scotland the youth committee has a lot more participation than other divisions in the union. From speaking to members of that committee at ADM it seems to me that there is a much more active approach taken there. The bulk of the organising is done by leading members of that committee rather But also, it is crucial to bring young than the area organiser, which members together to discuss how means that within a day or two to draw up serious campaigns to they are in contact with other challenge the burdens facing young

Broad Left Fighting Opposition to Leadership Needed

At this years ADM a meeting to discuss re-launching the unions Broad Left was held. For the past few years the Broad Left has only existed as a fund-raising social night at ADM, so it is welcome to see union activists get together to start challenging the misleadership of John Hannett and his clique. a speaker commented on the defeats of the union leadership at ADM and highlighted the need for delegates to exercise their democratic rights and not cower under the pressure of the existing leadership. years ADM and campaign to win support for them. Another key factor will be winning the new, youthful layers to support left-wing and Socialist ideas within the union. The discussion taking place amongst supporters of the Activist for fighting youth policies for the union is one thing we hope to bring to the Broad Left in the coming period.

But any such resurgence must be combined with policies that can take the union forward, if the After collecting large numbers of Broad Left wishes to re-establish names interested in re-establishing itself then it must put forward the Broad Left at this years social, propositions to this effect at next

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