theActivist
Issue 119
members in Usdaw
Supermarket bosses raking in the
profits – We need to fight back!
This years Annual Delegates’
Meeting (ADM) takes place
as many unions are
rediscovering the
effectiveness of strike
action.
While its workers struggle on
extremely low pay, Tesco has
announced that it expects its
retail-adjusted operating
profit to remain flat this year
– at about £2.49 billion!
In fact, all the ‘big four’
supermarkets, while seeing
profits stall this year, are still
hoovering up immense
amounts. The Co-op
reported operating profits
remaining steady at £100
million. Sainsbury’s
estimates finishing the
financial year with pre-tax
profits of between £630-
£690 million. Morrisons,
while seeing a 15% fall, still
reported £828 million
profits in the year to October
2022.
With the cost of living
skyrocketing, Usdaw
members working in the low-
paid retail sector are not only
Usdaw Activist ADM fringe meeting
“Trade unions striking for decent
pay, so why isn’t Usdaw?”
Sunday 23rd April, 12.30 @ the Melville Hotel,
70-72 Adelaide Street, Blackpool, FY1 4LA -
Refreshments provided
Speakers include: Dave Semple, PCS union; Andrea “only team on the field”;
Watts, Morrisons worker; Ryan Aldred, Usdaw
activist; chaired by former Usdaw president Amy having
Murphy (speakers in a personal capacity)
usdawactivist.wordpress.com ■ usdawactivist@gmail.com ■ Facebook: ‘Usdaw Activist’ ■ Twitter: @UsdawActivist
April 2023
ADM 2023 Special
ENGLAND & WALES
IRELAND
Join the union and help us
organise for
• Pay rises at least in line with
inflation for all in retail,
distribution and manufacturing.
•Raise the minimum wage to
£15 an hour for all
feeling the pinch, but are voted unanimously for the
seeing prices rise before our union leadership to pursue •Increase staffing levels in store
to carry out any necessary
eyes, as our members are £15 an hour when asked by a cleaning & hygiene duties, bring
tasked with repricing Socialist Party member from back in house outsourced
produce. It is therefore vital the rostrum. cleaners. Full time contracts to all
that Usdaw members use those who want them
the ADM as an opportunity After a number of bumper •Elected local health & safety
to fight to join the countless years throughout the committees/reps, including
other unions striking for pandemic, there is certainly overseeing when and if to lift any
better pay. scope to negotiate for higher measures brought in to deal with
wages which, if backed up Covid
Indeed, Usdaw itself has with a strategy for industrial •No waiting times or lower rates
shown what can be achieved action, could see Usdaw for sick pay
when undertaking strike members win above- •Scrap the 2 year qualifying
action, as the threatened inflation pay offers. period - Full employment rights
strike by Tesco distribution from day one
members at the end of 2021 While the supermarket • Scrap performance targets
forced the employer to give sector, where a majority of
Usdaw members are based, •Time and a half for all overtime
an improved offer without a worked over contracted hours
minute of strike action remains profitable, a
strategy needs to be •Reinstate lost paid breaks and
actually taking place! premium payments, double pay
developed to prevent the on Sundays and time and a half
Supermarket bosses have rising tide of shop closures on Saturdays. No extension of
begrudgingly had to concede and redundancies in retail Sunday trading
a number of pay increases as more generally. •Trade union control over
the minimum wage has been changing staff duties, hiring and
raised, but there is plenty of In the aftermath of the firing, and opening time changes
scope to demand wages be collapse of BHS, Usdaw •35 hour working week without
raised higher still. At last agreed to campaign for loss of pay
year’s ADM, it was agreed struggling companies to be •Open the books to trade union
that the union leadership taken into public ownership. inspection if companies say they
should negotiate £12 per Such a strategy would need can’t afford these measures
hour as an immediate step the political will to carry it
• Bailout workers, not the bosses
to £15, although the through, which is why it’s and the speculators. Campaign
conference floor unofficially outrageous that Usdaw for nationalisation to save jobs.
representatives voted with
Keir Starmer at the recent •Democratically elected
Labour National Executive committees of workers and
consumers to control prices and
meeting to block Jeremy any rationing policies at all levels.
Corbyn from standing at the
next general election as a
•For socialist planning to put the
needs of workers first, not
Labour MP. shareholders profits.
A Starmer-led government Join Usdaw - usdaw.org.uk/join
will not meet the demands of
Usdaw members. Tesco’s Jointhe fightback
chair John Allan declared
last year that Labour is the JOINTHE
Lord Sainsbury has just SOCIALISTS
made a £2 million donation, ● England & Wales
stopped his socialistparty.org.uk
donations to the party under ● Scotland
socialistpartyscotland.org.uk
Continued on page 2 > ● Ireland militant-left.org
theActivist the bulletin of CWI members in Usdaw

The Activist guide to ADM 2023 debates

This year’s ADM agenda sees a the question of fire and rehire, even on a targeted basis at representation which we would
wide array of different topics and trade union recognition Morrisons warehouses or food urge support for.
off pressing importance to and balloting methods - the manufacturing sites, the
both Usdaw members and the Activist supports these potential disruption alone Finally, the special delegate
wider working class on the propositions as well as the could force the company to meeting agenda includes two
agenda paper. amendment calling for an negotiate further, as important rule changes
incoming Labour government evidenced in Tesco distribution suggested by branches.
Top of those issues is the to repeal the 2016 Tory anti- where the threat of strike
looming question of the cost of union legislation. Firstly, S3 would re-open the
action in 2021 not only part time Scale C rate to new
living crisis, which crops up secured an improved pay offer
through the course of several Other propositions in this members. It is clear that as we
then, but also pay rises in line warned at the time, only having
debates on the agenda, debate include ones more with inflation in 2022!
including on energy bills, specifically around the new members able to join on
prescription charges, the state question of industrial action. Another feature of the agenda Scale A would price low paid
pensions, childcare amongst Whilst we agree with the is some policies taking up the and part time workers out of
other issues. We support the sentiment of these pushing for drift of Labour under Keir trade union membership,
general thrust of these a more militant stance from Starmer to a party that wants which weakens our colective
propositions that working the union, some of them would to be a friend to big business, strength as a trade union.
class people should not be be better off being withdrawn leading to policy changes away Secondly, S4 would make the
made to pay through the crisis. and reformulated in what they from policies trade unions Deputy General Secretary
are calling for more precisely have supported. The agenda elected every five years. The
We would especially draw and submitted to next years paper includes some issues
delegates attentions to the ADM. Activist supports the principle
where this such as the that full time senior officers of
important proposition in question of nationalising the
section 2 of the agenda from However, the proposition on Usdaw should be regularly
water companies raised by elected rather than have
Sussex No1 branch which No Strike Clauses is an Leeds PT branch or the
raises the issue of building into important one. As pg 16 of the positions for life. A 5 years
amendmane t on the universal term would be inline with what
our pay negotiations uplifts 2022 Annual Report makes service obligation around
linked to inflation which all clear, the current agreement our rulebook currently provides
renationalising Royal Mail for General Secretary as well.
delegates should support. with Morrisons includes a raised by Plymouth and District
clause for binding arbitration if General. Both these propositions would
Linked to the issue of the cost Usdaw members reject the
of living, is the question of company’s offer. This in our mark steps forward in building
The Politics debate also a more effective and
industrial action to pursue our opinion fails members by contains propositions on
pay claims. Reflecting this, the taking the decision out of their accountable Usdaw - the
restoring the whip to former Activist intends to draft a
propositions in the ‘Organising hands of how to resolve the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn
for a New Deal’ timetabled dispute. If Usdaw instead democracy charter to outline
an on proportional further steps which could be
debate take up questions of balloted for industrial action,
trade union rights including taken.
> Continued from page 1
Corbyn. These facts
Gibraltar Morrisons
Strike update
JOIN THE USDAW BROAD LEFT
demonstrate which side Supporters of the Activist are pay vote amongst other
Starmer will be on! This is why
Socialist Party members in Workers at the Morrisons also part of the Usdaw Broad policies.
Usdaw argue for trade store in Gibraltar, organised Left. Broad Left candidates
unionists to take steps by Unite, recently passed contested the last NEC We encourage Usdaw
towards building our own through their 75th day of strike elections on the basis of the a members to attend the Broad
political voice, including action over an insulting 20p fighting programme including Left Disco & Social on Monday
standing as candidates the pay rise which still leaves fighting for a £15 an hour 2nd May, 7.30pm til 1am @
next election. them on a rate below the UK minimum wage, campaigning Hotel/Apartments club,
This ADM is an opportunity to minimum wage. The Activists for sick pay from day one, upstairs, 122 Coronation St,
hold the union leadership to believes all Usdaw members opposition to store closures Blackpool, FY1 1QQ
account, and push for Usdaw should offer their full support and job losses upto and Tickets are £4
to fight alongside other to these workers. Messages of including supporting Join the Broad Left online at
unions to win the above- support can be sent to nationalisation of companies https://
inflation pay rises our Membership.Gibraltar@unitet and opposition to ‘partnership’ usdawbroadleft.typeform.com
members deserve. heunion.org and restoring the Tesco retail /to/j2machXd

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