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Living Wage Motion Passed at Labour

Conference Now For the Real Campaign

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the ActivistIssue 36

TUC Demo Special

Bulletin of Socialist Party members in

On Monday 1st October, acomposite motion, backed byUSDAW was passed at the LabourParty conference calling for afuture Labour government to workto the introduction of a livingwage to end poverty Asubsequent press release from

USDAW, dated 2

nd

October,clarified that the living wage iscurrently 7.20 per hour.

The Activist welcomes the passingof the resolution and the fact thatUSDAW supported such a motion,for far too long many retailworkers have been in the positionthat the minimum wage has alsobecome their maximum wage too,or in the case of the majorsupermarkets, their basic wagehas tracked only a few pence anhour above the current minimumwage rate.

The Socialist Party has arguedsince the minimum wagesinception that the minimum wageshould be a living wage. We alsoargued that the youth rates shouldbe abolished and everyone should

receive the adult rate, after all,why should employers get adiscount on employing youngpeople when they dont get adiscount on their rent, tax orutilities. We have consistentlywelcomed the moves USDAW hasmade within the big supermarketsto abolish youth rates, including inMorrisons, Tesco and Co-op.

Yet passing a resolution andimplementing it are two separatethings. We saw with the last timeLabour were in opposition they

p l e d g e d t orenationalise therailways, but in facttried or privatise itfurther once they gotinto power. Moreover,even if a Labourgovernment were to

get elected at thenext general electionand pass suchlegislation to legallyenforce such ameasure there would no doubt beuproar amongst retailers, angryabout a cut into their profits.

Many USDAW members will alsobe thinking that they cannot waituntil 2015 or beyond. The pricesof fuel, utilities, transport, food,childcare etc. keep increasing. AsEd Balls himself pointed out,working class people cannot waituntil the Con-Dems are booted outof office. We need action now.

USDAW should launch animmediate campaign over thisissue which would attract massivesupport from the over 2 million

retail workers currently outsidethe ranks of the trade unionmovement, as well as many otherlow paid workers. USDAW couldco-ordinate its pay claims in thecompanies it has bargainingagreements with to achieve the7.20 living wage as a minimum.

Rallies for a living wage could beheld in major cities bringing

together USDAW members acrossretail as well as a focus fordrawing new members into theunion. A campaign would have to

look into all strategies, includingindustrial action, as well as co-ordinating such campaigning withother companies throughout theretail sector.

With Tesco being the most

profitable retail company in

country and where over a quarter

of USDAW 420,000+ membership

is concentrated, its is important

however, that 7.20 per hour is

not seen as a new maximum

either. In reality the company, like

many others, could afford to pay

its workforce even more, which is

why the Socialist Party calls for aminimum wage of 8 an hour, a

figure which has been consistently

cited as necessary for a decent

standard of living, as a step to 10

an hour, with increases in the

minimum wage linked to average

earnings.

Paper of the Socialist Party, specialsubscription offer for those on the A

Future That Works TUC demonstration,

8 issues for 5 - see sellers on the day.

Members of the public protest in support of a living wage

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As an active member of USDAW and aparticipant in the lobby of the TUCcalling for a 24 hour general strikeagainst austerity I was upset to hearthat my union voted against the POAsmotion 5 which called on the TUC tolook into the practicalities of doing this.The motion was voted for by all the bigunions in the country with theexception of USDAW, and was backedby the General Council of the TUC.

John Hannetts speech against the

motion was awful, hardly making anysubstantive points, although he did tryto make some points, supposedlyreflecting the views of USDAWs420,000+ members, but these wouldbe out of tune with the feelings ofmany USDAW members.

At the moment they talk about activityin terms of political activity, returning agovernment that is in empathy withus... Hannett here is attempting torefer to re-electing Labour to power at

the next general election as the unionleaderships main strategy for fightingthe cuts, yet even Ed Balls said to waitfor the next Labour government to beelected would be too late.

But the Labour Partys policies arentin empathy with USDAW membersaspirations either. In the run up toLabours conference its spokespeoplewere dismissing the policy agreed atUSDAWs recent ADM in favour ofrepealing the anti-union laws.

He finished by stating Lets not giveour opponents the biggest stick ever tobeat us with. But as Steve Gillan putin his reply to the debate I think theyare already doing that, and its

beginning to hurt USDAW membershave seen Sunday Trading Hoursincreased over the Olympics,distribution workers for Tescos andother companies forced to sign newcontracts on worse terms andconditions.

Some USDAW members may behestitant about a general strike, butthis is because many have never takenstrike action before due to the unionspartnership policy which seeks to

avoid strike action at all costs. Theresult is that USDAW has been asleeping giant, with an industrialmuscle which could win big gains forretail & distribution workers.

Where other unions have a vibrantpresence in anti-cuts campaigns andsupporting other unions in struggle,USDAW generally has a very limitedparticipation. Relatively speaking,there will be far fewer USDAWmembers and activists on the streetson October 20

ththan many other

unions. This is something activistswithin the union will have to correct,building the confidence of USDAWmembers and reps to fight for theirinterests, both in the workplace and in

wider society. Rejecting the generalstrike out of hand as a tactic in thisstruggle would be like fighting with onearm tied behind your back. As SteveGillan put it when summing up thedebate This government will only stopchasing us, when we stop running!

Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW

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Outrage Over USDAWs Opposition

to TUC General Strike Motion

The National Shop Stewards Networkorganised the successful 800+ stronglobby of the TUC in support of ageneral strike. The organisation bringstogether reps across both public andprivate sector to discuss how to takethe struggles of workers forwards andinvolves activists in USDAW at everylevel, including its steering committee.

To find out more about the NSSNincluding details of local meetings aftert o d a y s m a r c h , p l e a s e v i s i twww.shopstewards.net

As a rank and file Usdaw ShopSteward myself, I can tell you thatwhere I work the members I representare in no way content with thegovernments attacks on their livingstandards! I can also report that themajority of members I have spoken to

are more than willing to take industrialaction. One man told me in halfseriousness and half jest that hed beout on the picket line with me, wavingthe red flag. Another woman told methat we need this government out at allcosts or the cost of their agendabecomes too much to bear.

So why has the delegation votedagainst united industrial action? It isbecause Usdaws leadership lacksconfidence in the ability of its members

to struggle. The vote by the delegationand by the delegations of: ATL, Balpaand NASUWT are a reflection of suchcowardice. Their tactic is to wait it out

until the next general election when itis highly likely that a Labourgovernment will come to power.

I was at a reps course not so longago, during which an regional Usdawofficial came in to speak with us all for

a few minutes. Part of his contributionwas to encourage us to join the LabourParty. If there was any clearerexpression of Usdaws rank and fileconcerning the utter lack of interestand faith in the Labour Party, it wasthis; not one single rep in a room of 21took an application form.

The reps on that course and the vastmajority of entire rank and file knowfrom Milibands own words that Labourhas no solution to the current financial

crisis and that once in power they willonly continue with the cuts but at aslower rate. They also consistentlyrefuse to pledge to reverse any of the

cuts implemented by the Con-Dems..Underlying this is a feeling of deepapathy which comes from voting in,time and time again, politicians thatbreak promises.

A Morrisons Shop Steward