theActivist members in ENGLAND & WALES

Issue 111
Post-Usdaw ADM

IRELAND

Usdaw Annual Delegate Meeting 2022:

Low-paid workers want to fight back
SOCIALIST PARTY MEMBERS IN USDAW

T
his year’s Usdaw An-
nual Delegate Meet-
ing (ADM) has already
seen a sea of discussion
around the cost-of-living
crisis. A common theme is that
despite members being recog-
nised through the pandemic as
key workers, they continue to re-
main some of the lowest paid and
most exploited.
Socialist Party members were
to the fore. Former Usdaw presi-
dent Amy Murphy moved a prop-
osition calling for Boxing Day to
be negotiated as a guaranteed
day off, with an additional day’s
holiday pay. This was keenly tak-
en up by members.
Chair of the Usdaw Broad Left,
Iain Dalton, raised the need for
Usdaw to push for union recog-
nition for workers in Stepchange,
a debt advice charity which the
union promotes to members.
Despite unsuccessful manoeu- Socialist Party members held alongside other unions for the na- Campaigning for a fighting
vres to attempt to block Ryan one of our biggest ever fringe tional demo called by the Trades union
Aldred from speaking from the meetings (see above). Those Union Congress on 18 June. Socialist Party members con-
rostrum, he moved an amalga- present were keen to show soli- The support for our ideas was tinued to take to the rostrum
mated proposition calling for a darity with victimised Tesco rep reflected in the finance appeal to argue for the union to take a
minimum wage of £15 an hour, Max McGee, who is going to em- and in sales of the Socialist. £141 fighting stance on the key issues
while negotiating wages that bet- ployment tribunal in June. Amy was raised for the Socialist Party’s facing members. That met with
ter reflect members’ status as key Murphy spoke of the need for fighting fund, and £18 from book opposition from the leadership.
workers. a new workers’ party, and the sales. Most propositions that were
The union leadership seized importance of standing Trade opposed by the leadership were
upon a line left in the compos- Unionist and Socialist Coalition withdrawn, in all probability
ited proposition about £12 as a candidates. Iain Dalton empha-
Join the fightback under pressure from the stand-
step to £15, to try to backpedal
somewhat. But in his right of re-
sised how far Labour policy had
diverged from union policies
JOIN THE ing orders committee. This
meant that key issues were not
ply, Ryan invited delegates to in-
dicate whether delegates wanted
since Keir Starmer took over from
Corbyn.
SOCIALISTS debated. Although this was the
first time the Annual Delegate
●● Visit socialistparty.org.uk/join
union officials to negotiate for Former PCS assistant general ●● or call 020 8988 8777 Meeting had taken place face to
£15 an hour or £12. The response secretary Chris Baugh rounded off ●● or text your name and face for two years, and involved
was unanimous with not a single the discussion by raising the need postcode to 07761 818 206 a number of new delegates, the
to find out more today!
hand going up for the latter. for Usdaw members to mobilise ▶▶▶ CONTINUED ON BACK

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theActivist the bulletin of members in

▶▶▶ CONTINUED FROM FRONT

conference was therefore pretty
sterile.
Some important issues af-
fecting the lives of low-paid,
overworked members were dis-
cussed including mental health,
the lack of social housing, the
costs of childcare and many
more.
There were some fantastic
contributions on the continued
attacks by the Tories on low-
paid workers. The rise in the
cost of living, the huge profits
raked in by energy companies,
and the need to have these
companies brought into public
ownership were all raised. workers. Despite that, she en- were out in motion by the right- attack on the Socialist Party,
The executive was called upon couraged delegates to get in- wing leadership, and despite and it was unfortunately lost.
to campaign for the £20 uplift of volved with the Labour Party. several speakers in support, it Ryan defiantly refused to with-
Universal Credit to be restored, Kieron Murphy moved a was lost. draw the proposition from the
followed by a fundamental proposition for Usdaw to affili- The last, but by no means agenda paper and there were
overhaul of Universal Credit, ate to the National Shop Stew- least controversial, proposi- some great contributions.
and a reversal in the recent Na- ards Network (NSSN) which tion to be debated was moved The anger of members and
tional Insurance increase. was previously brought to the by Ryan Aldred. He asked con- the huge pressures on low-paid
But when the conference was conference in 2018. Both times ference to affiliate Usdaw to workers mean the leadership
addressed by Labour’s Dr Ro- it was opposed by the leader- Youth Fight for Jobs, because of will struggle to keep a lid on
sena Allin-Khan, shadow cabi- ship, this time citing it as ‘inap- its campaigning against all job all these issues, and Socialist
net minister for mental health, propriate’ and ‘not a suitable losses. Party members will continue to
she said very little about what organisation’, as it was run by Once again, this was opposed lead the campaign for a fighting
Labour would do for low-paid the Socialist Party. The wheels by the leadership, with another union.

March on 18 June!
Delegates walkout of conference
to protest to standing orders
Usdaw Activist supporters will
be joining thousands of trade
unionists, including Usdaw, and
workers marching against the
cost-of-living crisis on 18 June in
London, join us!

●● Saturday 18 June
●● Assemble from 10.30am at
Portland Place near Oxford Street,
London
●● March departs 12pm
●● Rally 1pm at Parliament Square
●● Visit usdaw.org.uk to register
interest and book transport

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