Issue 76: 12 May

TUC demo edition

the bulletin of
theActivist members in

USDAW ADM 2018 BACKS ZERO-HOUR BAN,

LEADERS OPPOSE RANK-AND-FILE COORDINATION
Delegates walkout of conference
to protest to standing orders
Ryan Aldred
Usdaw conference delegate (personal capacity)
The left is making steps forward while the
right-wing bureaucracy continues trying
to hold back struggle at Usdaw’s annual
delegate meeting (ADM). The 22-25 April
national conference of the retail and
distribution union is still underway at the
time of writing.
The union leadership opposed affiliation
to the National Shop Stewards Network
(NSSN) - a rank-and-file body established
by transport union RMT and supported by
nine national unions.
Every contribution to the debate
supported the motion. The leadership
admitted its opposition was because
Socialist Party members play a leading
role in the NSSN.
The vote was clearly 50/50 on a show
of hands. But outgoing president Jeff
Broome refused a card vote - despite
numerous calls and general uproar. About
50 delegates walked out to complain
about blatant breaking of the rules.
The protests made to standing orders
forced a re-run of the vote. The final result
was declared as 42% for, 58% against - a
close defeat at the hands of a hostile and
cavalier leadership, and clearly justifying
the card vote.
The ADM did pass an emergency motion
calling on the union’s executive council
to support workers at Shop Direct. Three
distribution sites in Greater Manchester
face relocation to an automated site -
which could result in the loss of over
2,000 jobs.
The members are preparing for industrial
action and were emboldened by the
level of support. Socialist Party members
called for no relocation, and a shorter
working week with no loss of pay.
Usdaw has committed to a campaign
to ban zero-hour contracts in favour of
minimum 16-hour contracts, except
for those who specifically request less.
Socialist Party members pressed the
importance of not just committing
in words but seriously preparing a
campaign.
I spoke in support of reintroducing the
original, socialist ‘Clause IV’ into Labour’s
constitution, which the leadership
opposed and defeated. But the ADM did
pass a maximum income policy, on a card
vote, after the leadership opposed it.
It’s apparent Socialist Party member
Amy Murphy’s election as next Usdaw
president has emboldened the left in the
union. Iain Dalton of the Socialist Party
has also been elected chair of Usdaw’s
Broad Left, which continues to grow.
We sold over 100 copies of the Socialist.
It’s clear support for socialist ideas is
rising in Britain’s fifth-largest union.

NSSN Solidarity with the Tesco Dagenham strikers!

conference Workers in Usdaw at Tesco Dagenham distribution site will
2018 be taking strike action over pay from 10pm on Thursday 17
May.
The annual National Shop Stewards
Dave McCrossen - Usdaw Divisional Officer says: “Usdaw
Network (NSSN) conference will
has engaged positively with Tesco for over a year in an
be on Saturday 7 July 2018 from
attempt to find a mutually acceptable settlement for the
11am to 4.30pm in Conway Hall,
2017 Pay Review. Unfortunately, the company have refused
25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R
to improve upon their initial offer which was worth less
4RL.
than 3%.”
Following the debate at ADM come
Picket lines are at 10pm on 17 May and then 6am and
along to find out more about the
2pm on 18 May. We urge those who can to attend the
NSSN for yourself.
picket lines and urge everyone to send solidarity messages
New Usdaw President Amy Murphy
to the workers and on social media.
is among the speakers.
Turnout in the ballot was over 70% with 63% voting in
See shopstewards.net for more.
favour of industrial action and further strikes could follow.

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 theActivist
Reject the mega-supermarket Belgium Lidl
merger: nationalise to save jobs strike victory!
Workers in Sainsbury’s and Asda were shocked
to hear on Saturday 28 April that their employers
were at an advanced level of merger talks,
confirmed as a deal agreed on the morning of
30 April.
They would have been especially angered by
the incredible behaviour of Sainsbury’s chief
executive Mike Coupe. ITV News published a
video of him singing “we’re in the money” to
himself between TV interviews announcing the
merger!
No consultation has taken place with workers
in any of the three recognised unions in the two
companies. Retail and distribution union Usdaw
organises in Sainsbury’s throughout the UK and
Asda in Northern Ireland. Unite the Union also
organises in Sainsbury’s, and general union
GMB organises in Asda in England, Wales and
Scotland.
Clearly, this move follows the stagnation of
the UK retail sector, as well as buyouts such
as wholesaler Booker by Tesco and Argos by
Sainsbury’s. As the discounters have eaten into
the retail share of the ‘big four’ - Tesco, Asda,
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons - bosses are seeking
‘efficiencies’ by combining resources.
This is despite both companies being profitable,
with Sainsbury posting its best Christmas results
ever and Asda recording successive quarters of
sales growth, despite the recent retail squeeze.
The companies have pledged no store closures.
This seems unlikely. The Competition and Market
Authority which regulates mergers will probably
require some store disposals to prevent local
usdawactivist.wordpress.com ■ usdawactivist@gmail.com ■ Facebook: ‘Usdaw Activist’ ■ Twitter: @UsdawActivist
the bulletin of
monopolies.
The deal talks about ‘supply chain efficiencies’.
Shopfloor representatives are rightly demanding
no job losses.
But Usdaw’s outgoing right-wing general
secretary John Hannett has only promised
“monitoring” and “clarification.” The unions must
demand no cuts to jobs or pay, and back it up
with the threat of industrial action.
Sainsbury’s is currently trying to force workers
to sign new contracts which raise the basic rate
but cut important pay elements. Unite has rightly
demanded management halt this at least until
the merger.
This once again highlights the question of why
the supply of food, a necessity of life, is left in
the hands of capitalism’s profit motive.
Asda is owned by the notoriously anti-union US
giant Walmart. Sainsbury’s largest shareholder
is the Qatari sovereign wealth fund.
The priorities of both are their bottom lines,
rather than shop workers and supermarket
customers. The free market delivers some of the
lowest wages in the economy for retail workers
while also squeezing suppliers.
Instead of leaving such a key sector to the whims
of big business, the big supermarket chains and
their distribution networks should be brought
into public ownership, under democratic workers’
control and management. This, as part of a
socialist plan of production, is the only way to
guarantee retail workers’ jobs in the long term.
Iain Dalton, chair, Usdaw Broad Left
(personal capacity)
members in
A week long series of strikes by Lidl
workers across Belgium has led to
increased staff at stores across the
country. A strike broke out at one store
in Oostkamp over the dismissal of a
sales manager, which also raised the
issue of workloads.
After a failed set of negotiations,
where the company wanted to push
for longer opening hours, including
Sunday, a number of stores went on
strike immediately, but soon began
being joined by other less organised
stores. By Friday 27th April, 147 out of
302 stores in Belgium were reported
as closed by the company,
The strikes forced management to
conceded an extra 42 staffing hours
per store for six months, but this
was rejected by the SETCa / BBTK
unions and the strike continued for a
further two days until this was made
permanent. Key in winning this was
the picketing of the 5 distribution
depots in the country, effectively
shutting the company down.
Understaffing is a problem across the
whole of the retail sector. The Lidl
strike in Belgium shows once again
that shop workers do not have to take
the attacks of management lying
down.
Iain Dalton,
Chair of Usdaw Broad Left
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