theActivist
Issue 102
members in
Usdaw President Amy Murphy
joins TUSC steering committee
Amy Murphy, the outgoing
president of the fourth-
biggest Labour Party-affiliated
trade union, the Union of
Shop, Distributive and Allied
Workers (Usdaw), has been
welcomed as a new member
of the national steering
committee of the left-wing
Trade Unionist and Socialist
Coalition (TUSC).
Amy, who is retiring as union
president in April and will sit
on the TUSC committee in a
personal capacity, said:
"The government is continuing
with its aggression towards
trade unions while big
businesses are reaping in the
profits with one hand as they
viciously attack terms and
conditions and inflict pay cuts
and freezes with the other.
They are culling their
workforces, firing and re-hiring
whilst hiding behind the
pandemic, and with no or very
little opposition".
"So now, more than ever,
there is a real need for
change. We need an
alternative that will politically
and socially defend the
working class. One which will
give a voice to workers,
engage with, support, and
fight for them, and build on
Jeremy Corbyn's socialist
ideas. I believe TUSC is the
way forward, a party for the
working class".
The TUSC national
chairperson Dave Nellist, a
Labour MP from 1983-1992,
hailed the significance of
Amy's decision:
"This follows the news from
the president of the bakers'
union that, in
consultation with members
their
about whether they want to
remain affiliated to the Labour
Party, only 9% think that Keir
Starmer's Labour is serving
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their interests now".
"TUSC only agreed in
September last year that we
would resume contesting
elections, starting in this
May's contests in Scotland,
Wales, London and the
English councils".
"We had wholeheartedly
supported Jeremy Corbyn's
anti-austerity policies and his
defence of working-class
people against the 'rigged
system' that serves the
interests of the billionaires.
We saw his leadership of the
Labour Party as creating
opportunities to achieve
working class socialist
political representation on a
mass basis".
"But everything about
Starmer's leadership, from his
policy retreats praising big
business to the continued
suspension of Jeremy from
the Parliamentary Labour
Party, shows that those
opportunities are receding".
"So candidates standing in
the elections in May who
endorse Jeremy Corbyn's
suspension while agreeing to
implement austerity
measures directed from the
Tories in Westminster, cannot
expect to be unchallenged at
the ballot box and we are
confident that more and more
trade unionists will draw that
same conclusion".
Jared Wood, a national
executive committee member
of the RMT transport workers'
union officially represented on
the TUSC steering committee,
said:
"Ever since the RMT first
formally agreed to participate
in the Trade Unionist and
Socialist Coalition - at our
annual general meeting in
2012 - we have always
stressed the importance of
February 2021
ENGLAND & WALES
IRELAND
Join the union and help us
organise for
•No lifting of any Covid safety
measures without agreement
from elected local health & safety
committees/reps
•Full pay for all workers self-
isolating or furloughed from day
one - no to forcing staff to use
holidays
• An immediate £12/hour
minimum wage as a step to £15
+ hazard pay
•Increase staffing levels in store
to carry out any necessary
cleaning & hygiene duties, bring
back in house outsourced
cleaners. Full time contracts to all
those who want them
•Scrap the 2 year qualifying
period - Full employment rights
from day one
• Scrap performance targets
building widespread trade
union support for TUSC if it is •Time and a half for all overtime
to effectively contribute to worked over contracted hours
what our AGM motion •Reinstate lost paid breaks and
described as 'the hard, long- premium payments, double pay
term task of rebuilding on Sundays and time and a half
on Saturdays. No extension of
political representation for
Sunday trading
working class people'. Amy
joining the steering committee •Trade union control over
is another important step changing staff duties, hiring and
firing, and opening time changes
forward for TUSC".
•35 hour working week without
Another left-wing former loss of pay
Labour MP, Chris Williamson,
representing 'Resist: the •Open the books to trade union
inspection if companies say they
Movement for a People's
can’t afford these measures
Party' on the TUSC steering
committee, said: • Bailout workers, not the bosses
and the speculators. Campaign
"Amy's decision to join TUSC's for nationalisation to save jobs.
national steering committee is
•Democratically elected
a further indication that a committees of workers and
political alternative is needed.consumers to control prices and
Usdaw has always been very any rationing policies at all levels.
loyal to the Labour Party, so it
•For socialist planning to put the
is very significant that one of needs of workers first, not
the union's most senior shareholders profits.
figures has thrown her weight
Join Usdaw - usdaw.org.uk/join
behind TUSC".
"We are building a strong
coalition of trade unionists Jointhe fightback
and socialists to give people
hope that an alternative to the
neoliberal nightmare is
JOINTHE
possible. People
understandably dissatisfied
are
SOCIALISTS
with the existing political ● England & Wales
status quo and I'm sure that socialistparty.org.uk
Amy's decision will encourage ● Scotland
socialistpartyscotland.org.uk
others to follow her example". ● Ireland militant-left.org
theActivist the bulletin of CWI members in

Usdaw Elections - Right makes

gains but Broad Left grows
Activist editorial board candidates being unable to
statement reach members and
campaign for support and
Usdaw held elections for wider participation. We
union President and warned back in September
Executive Council with that going ahead with the
results being announced on elections would likely lead to
Monday 15th February. On a democratic deficit and
the same day that the results made it clear that the union
were announced, serious leadership needed to provide
concerns were raised by support to ensure that
members about the drop off branch democracy was fully
in turnout. Whilst some functioning as some
members argued that branches haven’t met since
turnout percentages weren’t the pandemic began.
that far off the 2018
elections, the percentages As it was, guidance on how to Usdaw Broad Left members join Leeds TUC in campaigning in
alone don’t tell the whole use Zoom for online support of Debenhams workers in the UK & Ireland - photo,
story. meetings only appeared in Leeds TUC
Network, Usdaw’s magazine But this isn’t just a problem more than the next
Socialist Party member and for reps and activists in
current union President Amy December, linked to the difficult candidate. This is even with a
after the conditions of the pandemic, relatively muted campaign
Murphy, was elected with nomination period for the
9,566 votes in 2018 with a election closed. With, in it stems from the way due to Andrea suffering a
reported turnout of 4.9%. effect, reps engaged in Usdaw’s leadership treats lay bereavement early on in the
Jane Jones, the preferred guerilla member democracy as a campaign cycle.
warfare with nuisance rather than a
candidate of the right wing, management over safety in Socialist Party member and
was elected with 7,505 votes stores, distribution centre, potential strength of the
union. It is almost impossible Usdaw Broad Left candidate
with a turnout of 4.3%, so manufacturing and Ryan Aldred, challenging the
even comparing the figures transport, then the election for many rank and file
members to find out where South Wales and Western
shows a drop in turnout and will not necessarily have seat came within 180 votes
2,000 fewer votes returned featured high of their their branch holds meetings
and how to attend, an of getting elected and
for the right-wing's choice, agenda. managed to secure 252
with 5,000 less voting in the already difficult prospect
given how common 24/7 more votes than one of the
Presidential election. Whilst Just 1.95% of Usdaw incumbent EC members. As
a drop in membership goes members voted for Jane working in retail and
distribution has become, and it stands, the right-wing have
some way to explaining the Jones, with her only made gains through these
lower number of votes cast, it managing to secure 48% of the often large geographical
nature of many branches. elections with no Broad Left
does not explain the drop in votes cast for President. members being returned to
turnout. However, there was also a The Activist will be producing
a charter for lay member the EC (3 sitting Broad Left
difference of nearly 17,800 EC members stood down in
That the election has taken between the number of democracy in Usdaw to start
place in the midst of another members in January 2021 a debate within the union on the election). However, the
nationwide lockdown hasn’t (402,111) and number of this issue. overall lack of turnout is an
helped turnout with ballots issued (384,317). ongoing symptom of a
Left challenge to ‘tripartite’ membership that is less than
Even if this is down to people policies of the right enthusiastic about the
Join the Usdaw joining the union online, or current strategy employed by
Broad Left today: moving house without Despite a crowded field with the right-wing.
Apply to join online at: providing a new postal 5 people running for
address, its staggering that President, Andrea Watts, the Usdaw General Secretary,
https:// more people were cut out of Usdaw Broad Left candidate Paddy Lillis, has consistently
usdawbroadleft.typeform.co the vote than took part in the for President, came second put forward a partnership or
m/to/j2machXd vote for President. scoring over 1,500 votes tripartite process, trying to
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theActivist the bulletin of CWI members in

work constructively with the A recent victory in the supermarket workers who now. It is vital that the Usdaw
Tory government and bosses Scottish courts has for now have worked tirelessly Broad Left now comes
through the British Retail halted the attack on throughout three lockdowns together to prepare for our
Consortium. Despite conditions at the Livingston will increasingly be asking intervention for ADM.
lobbying from Usdaw about site but workers in Litchfield, where their share of the
tightening up legislation Daventry clothing and profits are in a sector that Attempting to work
around shop workers facing Avonmouth Tesco has done well. Supermarket constructively with the Tories
abuse the Tories have distribution centres are still workers have attained the and the bosses will continue
refused to cooperate even on affected. Imagine if, instead status of key workers not to work. Socialist Party
that limited reform. Similarly,of simply relying on action in throughout the pandemic but members in Usdaw have
the Tories attempted to ease the courts alone, Usdaw receive wages close to the made it clear that retail jobs
up Sunday trading laws and broke with the partnership minimum. Casualisation need defending including
only backed off when a approach and balloted remains rife throughout the issuing calls for public
groundswell of anger from members for strike action to retail and distribution sector ownership. Workers need
below stayed their hand with decisively oppose the rolling with more and more people £12 an hour minimum wage
a survey of Usdaw members out of these measures. The employed on zero and low now with hazard pay for key
declaring that 92% were fact that Tesco have been hours contracts. All of these workers working through the
against extending Sunday willing to launch such an people will be looking for a pandemic with a campaign of
hours. Evidently, the Tories attack on terms and fightback. industrial action to achieve it.
have not been willing to conditions clearly We need a sustained
reciprocate in this tripartite demonstrates their disdain There is a growing disquiet in campaign to end zero and
process. for partnership with the the union that not enough low hours contracts and we
union as they are happy to has been done to oppose need a party that will
Similarly, bosses have been break with the partnership redundancies up to this point represent workers as Keir
less than keen to work agreement when it suits and members won’t simply Starmer continues to snub
constructively with the union. them. tolerate further attacks to the unions. Support for our
Sainsbury’s/Argos which has job, terms and conditions. An ideas will continue to grow,
a recognition agreement with The newly elected leadership important gain throughout can the right-wing say the
Usdaw put 3,500 jobs at risk won’t enjoy a long these elections has been the same?
despite paying out two lots of honeymoon period and will recruitment and
dividends to shareholders in quickly be tested in an consolidation of members of
2020 which was reported a increasingly volatile the Usdaw Broad Left with
bumper year for sales across situation. On the one hand, Socialist Party members
the supermarket sector. attacks will continue in the playing a key role in
Tesco, another employer non-essential retail sector as campaigning for the Broad
which recognises Usdaw is bosses seek to make savings Left. New members have
attempting to employ a fire by stripping back on staff been attracted to the call for
and rehire tactic at its with tens of thousands of a democratic, fighting
distribution centres. jobs at risk of redundancy leadership in Usdaw
already. On the other, particularly with Paddy Lillis
clamping down on union
democracy at this year’s
Annual Delegates Meeting or
ADM (union conference).

With membership of the

union’s Broad Left
increasing, we have an
important role to play to
challenge the leadership to
push for the fight that is
needed to both defend jobs,
end casualisation and
demand more for key
workers. With increasing
Broad Left membership it
It was left to lay members in the union, including President Amy puts us in good stead to
Murphy, some EC members including Andrea Watts, alongside challenge future elections
many other ordinary Usdaw reps and members to campaign
against the victimisation of Usdaw shop steward and EC members
but we must waste no time in
Richie Venton - photo Warrington TUC pushing to transform Usdaw

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