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Obituary: Robbie Segal

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the ActivistIssue 39

Robbie Segal

Bulletin of Socialist Party members in

Robbie Segal, a longstandingcomrade in the Socialist Party anda leading activist in Usdaw (Unionof Shop, Distributive and AlliedWorkers), has died of a terminalneurological disorder.

Robbie joined her first trade unionat 19 and was soon involved in

industrial action against ExpressNewspapers.

Over the next four decades, shewould be found at the forefront ofworkers' battles and on the streetsarguing for solidarity and raisingfinance, whether it was defendingthe socialist Liverpool councillors,mineworkers and their wives, orthe P&O seafarers' strike.

Similarly, she played a leading rolein the struggle against Thatcher'sPoll Tax. She was expelled fromthe Labour Party for her socialistbeliefs.

For 25 years, Robbie worked inTesco and was a shop steward for24 of those years. She understoodhow essential it is to build a solid

base and that gave her a platformfor election to Usdaw's divisionalcouncil and eventually theExecutive Council (EC) - servingfour three-year terms.

As a member and as an ECmember, Robbie recognised thepower of the union was slippingaway from its members to ahandful of bureaucrats.

She campaigned against thedanger of Usdaw leadersemb ra c i n g New L ab o u r ' s

'partnership' policy - resulting inpay that was little more than theminimum wage, and the worseningof conditions.

She understood the route the'partnership' agreement betweenTesco and Usdaw was heading inand resigned from the national

store forum in protest.

Her warnings that this policy wouldresult in attacks against the better-paid workers in distribution haveunfortunately been proved correct.

Respected

For a number of years, Robbie wasa solid voice of opposition and she

was both vilified by the right wingand respected by the left for heruncompromising stand.

She was not only a fighter but alsoUsdaw left's most approachablefigurehead. Branded an 'extremist'by Usdaw's right wing; however,hundreds of activists turned to herfor advice and support.

Robbie's major challenge was herstruggle to democratise Usdaw andwin the union back for itsmembers. She understood theurgent need to educate a newerlayer of activists on a programmeof action.

Robbie considered it nearimpossible to promote a militantalternative while the current

leadership had a stranglehold onthe union, so she helped establishand regularly contributed to the

Activist, the bulletin of SocialistParty members working in Usdaw.

Robbie wrote regularly for theSocialist paper on Usdaw matters.

At the union's annual conference,Robbie would be round the hallselling the Socialist, chatting to thedelegates and by the end of theday she would have sold over 100copies.

She would always linger a momentlonger to give a word ofencouragement to the youngerdelegates and discuss the agenda.

In 2008, Robbie stood against theincumbent for the post of Usdawgeneral secretary. With very fewresources and no method ofcontacting the branches, she stoodon a socialist programme with thetheme of returning the union backto its members. Her stand won herover 18,000 votes, over 40% ofthe total vote.

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Usdawhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Unionhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Socialisthttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Tescohttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Socialist_Partyhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Socialist_Partyhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Socialist_Partyhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Socialist_Partyhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Tescohttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Socialisthttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Unionhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Usdaw

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I knew Robbie for many yearswhen I was the industrial organiserfor the Socialist Party. She was

indeed a stalwart for the workersof Tesco in particular and the rightwing in her union - Usdaw - knewthis and hated her for it.

When at one stage Robbie wasstanding for the union's executivecouncil the leadership put two fulltime officials to sit in a car outsideher home to monitor her comingsand goings.

This was a blatant attempt atintimidation against a womanmember of the union who foughtfor her members and stood up tothe bureaucracy.

On another occasion, when the

left, led by Robbie, decided to putup a candidate in the union'spresidential election, the Socialist

Party hosted a fringe meeting atthe TUC conference around2003/2004.

The candidate and Robbie were onthe platform and I chaired the well-attended meeting of delegates andvisitors to the conference.

You can imagine our surprise whenthe right wing incumbent president

and her entourage of full timeofficials turned up at the meeting.

Before the platform speakers hadan opportunity to speak the rightwingers started heckling from theback.

It gave me a glimpse of what itmay have been like for Robbiewhen she attempted to speak atthe executive councils of the union.

She would be shouted at by thebureaucracy whenever sheattempted to raise alternative ideasto the right wing's sell-out of the

members' interests.

Usdaw was well on the road tobecoming what the Americanworkers called a "yellow union".Robbie played a leading role intrying to stop that process.

Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW

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Robbie warned: 'the bosses areintent on the working people ofthis country paying for their mess'and she concluded: 'only a socialistsociety offers a solution to theblight we face at present'.

Robbie understood that only achange in society would solve theproblems of working people and

her life was dedicated to that aim.She was always there to giveadvice and a smile, and she will besadly missed.

We send our condolences to Eric,

her husband and fellow SocialistParty activist, their three children,Johanna, Polly and Miriam, andgrandchildren.

Robbie speaking at the 2009 National

Shop Stewards Network Conference

Tribute from Bill Mullins:

Remember Robbie by Joining her Fight - Support the Activist!

Stillavailable

for 2

from

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(020 8988 8777 )

bookshop@socialistparty.org.uk

Its sad to see great fighters for workers

pass, but the battles they fought do notend there. The employers do not let uptheir assault on our pay and conditions,neither do the right-wing of our unionin allowing them to get away with it.

Robbie was not just against theseattacks because they were vicious andwrong, but also because she was asocialist who had an alternative to themisery of capitalist, one based onmeeting the needs of ordinary people

instead of sacrificing everything toboost profits.

Robbies fight has inspired many

activists in Usdaw and over the last

year more have supported the Activistallowing us to produce this bulletinmore regularly. But we still needreports of the real effects of partnershipin your workplace, of how workers aretrying to organise to re-claim our union.

We appeal to readers of the Activist tohelp write for and produce this bulletin,to send e-mail addresses of interestedco-workers to usdawactivist@gmail.comand to join the Socialist Party.

Together, we can finish what Robbiestarted and build a fighting trade unionfor retail and distribution workers, as astep towards a socialist world.