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Activist: Number 30, January 2012

Paper of Socialist Party members in Usdaw

Unilever
On the evening of Friday 20th January and the morning and afternoon of the following Saturday, workers at Unilevers Leeds site in Seacroft took a further 24hrs of strike action in opposition to the companys attempts to

close the final salary pension scheme. This forms part of an eleven day programme of rolling action across Unilevers sites up and down the country. An USDAW member in Leeds The mood amongst strikers is one of determination, with them facing losing between 20-40% of their pension funds as the company wants to move to a career average scheme. Just before this action took place the union had heard that the companies trustees had voted to accept this plan. The company, which was founded by philanthropist Lord Leverhume, still claims to hold social responsibility amongst its values. Yet despite making $4.6bn euros in profits last year, they now claim they cant afford to pay the workforce a decent pension and as a recent video produced by Unite the Union points out the entire workforce of the Liptons tea factory in Pakistan are temporary workers with no job security (see http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Theeovq1c). Moreover, the company spitefully cancelled christmas parties, presents and bonuses for its workforce because of the industrial action. But just as the company can show it has no good will, so can the workforce. The Leeds site produces well over a million units a day, with last year producing a record breaking 560m. But to do this the company is heavily reliant on overtime to make up production shortfalls (not least due to the effects of the strikes). But this weekend, no electricians are willing to work meaning that production will stop during the sunday evening shift after the strike production will only be able to restart for a few hours in between this causing a further impact on the company. Whilst the industrial action will be having an impact on the company, at present they are refusing to even enter ACAS mediated talks with the unions.Reps from across Unilever sites will meet to discuss the next steps in the campaign after the present round of industrial action is concluded. If the company are still refusing to come to the negotiating table then it is likely to take an escalation of the action to do so. In the meantime, Unilever workers and the unions should aim to build links with all others fighting for decent pensions, not least workers in the public sector who face similar attacks on their pensions. Unions and trades councils should invite Unilever workers to speak at meetings to help counter the governments attempts to divide public and private sector workers, and instead fight for a decent pension for every worker.

Unpaid overtime on the increase


The amount of unpaid overtime is on the increase. The Activist regularly receives reports, that because of the cut-backs in staffing levels, the practice of finishing the work long pass your regular hours is even increasing in the large retailers. The TUC estimates that two billion unpaid hours were worked last year and were worth 29.2 billion to the bosses. This was equivalent to an extra one million full-time jobs. The TUC has named 24 February as Work Your Hour Proper Hours Day, we can only hope that Usdaw's leaders promotes this campaign and our members are encouraged to campaign on this issue.

Nike pays out $1m in unpaid overtime payments


At least the trade unions representing Nike workers in Indonesia have won compensation over unpaid overtime. The sportswear group has been forced to pay the 4,500 the $1m they were owed. Our members should should keep details of all unworked overtime - what a great idea for the next Usdaw campaign.

Tesco shares take a hammering


Its a strange world! While many of the population were struggling to make ends meet, Tesco announcement of lower sales over xmas resulted in nearly 5bn being wiped of their share price in a few hours.

Jobs massacre at La Senza


Ian Harris, Hillingdon Socialist Party

Administrators KPMG announced they were 'delighted' to have saved 1,000 jobs with La Senza in the UK on Monday. They didn't mention the remaining 1,600 workers thrown on the dole with ten minutes' notice. Stunned workers were given 30 minutes to collect their belongings and a standard form to claim redundancy money and unpaid wages from the Insolvency Service. At a mass meeting in the warehouse on Monday night, a representative from KPMG unceremoniously informed 250 warehouse, mail order and office staff that despite the 'rescue' deal signed with Alshaya, our jobs, as well as those of the staff of 80 stores, were no longer required. Alshaya is one of the largest retail companies in the Middle East

and manages over 55 international brands. In my workplace, this blow falls particularly heavily on young workers, most under the age of 30, and many with young families. The sense of shock and betrayal in the air was palpable, as former La Senza employees queued to collect their forms. Many workers have ten, 15 or 20 years service with the company, who are currently claiming that we are only entitled to statutory redundancy pay from the government, which could take over three months to be paid. The disgust was particularly strong because of the lies and distortions fed to the workforce over the last few weeks. Following the announcement that La Senza was in trouble just before Christmas, we were repeatedly told that we shouldn't worry, that a deal was being negotiated and we should carry on working as normal. Mail order and warehouse staff were even made to do extra overtime (on top of what we normally do, meaning 12 hour shifts or more), in order to catch up with orders. We now have to claim these wages from the government as well. La Senza, KPMG and the other retail giants and consortiums claim that restructuring and job losses are necessary due to the state of the economy, i.e. the collapse in consumer spending brought on by the credit crisis, and exacerbated by government attacks on public sector workers and wage freezes, cuts to hours and job losses in the private sector. These factors undoubtedly exist. However, in the case of La Senza, it is not so much that the company is losing money, it is just not making enough money to satisfy the private equity parasites, Lion Capital, who withdrew their investment. Alshaya have swooped in like vultures, to pick off the 60 best stores, and add them to their already massive high street portfolio. La Senza workers in the UK are heartened by and 100% in support of the occupation of the Liffey Valley store in Dublin, demanding their overtime payments for December and unpaid wages. The speech made by Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins in the Dil supporting these workers, was particularly inspiring, and should stand as a lesson to politicians in the UK who claim to represent ordinary people. (You can watch the video here: http://www.joehiggins.ie/2012/01/videojoe-higgins-urges-minister-to-ensure-la-senza-workers-entitlementsare-met/ or see below for transcription) 2012 will see further downturns in the retail sector, with further mass redundancies likely. It is time for the general unions: Unite, GMB and Usdaw, to step up their recruitment campaigns in this sector massively. It is also time for all workers and trade unionists to join the fight for new workers' party, that will stand up for the rights of ordinary workers, and fight back against the savage attacks by the bosses, big business

and the Con-Dem government.

Interview with Worker occupying La Senza, Liffey Valley


Can you explain how youve been treated by your former employer?
Weve been treated like dogs. The company hid behind the smokescreen of KPMG and said that we werent going into liquidation. We worked Stephens Day, Christmas Eve, New Years Eve because we were told that we would get paid, losing out on time with our family at Christmas. They lied to us, led us along, said we werent closing down. They said, Theres a contingency plan and not to worry. We were cheerful, nice to the customers and so on when all this was going on. But the reality is that all along they must have known that we were closing down, and that we wouldnt get our wages!

What are you and the other workers demanding?


We want our wages and our overtime for the last month and a half. We want our time in lieu and we want the holiday pay that we are owed. They kept lying to us so that we wouldnt leave. They withheld information from us so we wouldnt leave the shop at Christmas and now theyre just kicking us to the kerb.

Are you getting much support?


A man that none of us knows put 50 euro under the shutter. Everyones been cheering, giving us the thumbs up. The response has been great. Its like with the guys down in Cork [Vita Cortex, workers' sit in], were all the in same boat and something has to be done. Hopefully this can also give them more support and publicity.

What inspired you to occupy?


We thought we could do a similar thing to what theyve done in Cork. And when it happened we just said that were not leaving, because we've been treated with such injustice.
First published in the Socialist (Ireland)

All right for some


Did you know that the ratio of top executive pay to average employee pay has increased from 47:1 in 2000 to 102:1 in 2011? We need a party that's going to fight for workers more than ever.

Please forward this copy of the Activist to your contacts in Usdaw If you would like further details of the work of the Socialist Party please send your address email to usdawactivist@gmail.com

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