activist 62: post-adm 2016 special

7/26/2019 Activist 62: Post-ADM 2016 Special

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Deepen the fight for democratic

accountability in USDAW

Find out more: usdawactivist.wordpress.com / [email protected] / Facebook: Usdaw Activist

theActivistIssue 62

Post-ADM special

Bulletin of Socialist Party members in

Inside:p2 - BHS Crisis

P3 - ADM reportp4 - Corbyn at ADM / Broad Leftp5/6 - Activist at ADM/Retail 2020p6 - Irish Tesco Disputep7 - Co-op elections/Sunday

Trading

After General Secretary JohnHannetts performance at

ADM in the international de-bate, where he spoke in amanner to undermine the po-sition of support the EC wasgiving to propositions, many

Usdaw members andbranches have written de-manding the EC hold Hannettto account.

Hannetts actions were hypo-

critical, for a man who con-stantly bangs on about theECs collective responsibility,

the first time this is put to thetest in regards to himself heignores it.

Those members of the ECwho have failed to stand upto Hannett over his actionsshould face a challenge fromthe Broad Left at the next ECelections. At upcoming divi-sional councils and confer-ences, EC members should be

quizzed on what stance theytook on this matter.

This has to be linked to deep-ening the organisation ofthose who want to see a cam-paigning, fighting strategy forthe union to adopt, ratherthan the repeated defeatsmembers have suffered under

Hannetts leadership.

Below we reprint a letter ini-

tiated by a supporter of theActivist which was amongthose sent to the EC and wassigned by ADM delegates in-cluding ones who voted differ-ent ways on the crucial Tri-dent proposition.

Dear Usdaw Executive Coun-cil,

We the undersigned aremembers of Usdaw, atten-dees our unions 2016 ADM,who have serious concernsover the way in which theGeneral Secretary of Usdaw,John Hannett, replied to theInternational debate at the2016 ADM.

In his reply, which was onbehalf of yourselves, we be-lieve John barely paid lip ser-vice to the position of supportwhich you had given to allthose propositions, insteadsubstituting his own personal

opinions. This denied dele-gates the opportunity to hearthe views of our elected ex-ecutive on the issues beingdebated, an important part ofour democratic discus-sions at ADM.

Whilst we believe mem-bers of the union will

have their own opinionson many issues, we be-lieve that when repre-

senting the union or bodies ofthe union in an official capac-ity, union members shouldrepresent their respectivebranch, the EC or the unionas a whole. We believe thatJohns speech was akin to a

branch delegate breaking amandate.

Frankly, if John was unable tocarry out the responsibility ofinforming delegates of theviews of the executive, thenhe should have excused him-self and allowed anothermember of the ExecutiveCouncil to do so.

We believe you, as our Ex-ecutive Council, should takewhatever measures you deemnecessary to prevent such arecurrence of such actions inthe future.

10th annual conference takes place on

Saturday 2nd July, Conway Hall 25 RedLion Square, London WC1R 4RL11am-4.30am

See www.shopstewards.net for info


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Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW


Department store BHS is go-ing into administration. The

news on 24 April will haveshocked many, not least the

11,000 staff.

Speaking to the Socialist

Party, one worker was"scared and uncertain on the

future," saying "I feel like Iam not in control."

Retail mogul Philip Green,who owned BHS as part of his

Arcadia group, sold it lastyear - for 1.

Bosses blame the company's

large debts - 1.3 billion, in-cluding a 571 million pensionfund deficit. But when Greenbought the company in 2000,

it had a 5 million surplus,rising to 12 million the fol-lowing year.

Green has taken what the Fi-n a n c i a l T i m e s c a l l s

"substantial dividends" over anumber of years. He avoided

tax on these by paying themto his wife, who lives inMonaco.

Superyacht

Additionally, he used BHS as-

sets to back loans for other

businesses within his group.Green recently bought a third

superyacht.

And BHS paid over 25 mil-lion to its subsequent owners,

Retail Acquisitions, ahead ofgoing into administration.

Even under previous recovery

plans, management was dis-cussing closing up to 50stores and attacking staff

pensions. Now retail workersare once again expected to

pay the costs of the bosses'mistakes.

If administrators, or a newbuyer, attempt to shut stores

down, workers should take aleaf from the book of workers

in Ireland. Staff at Game andLa Senza occupied their

stores.

Multiple owners have proved

incapable of running BHS as agoing concern, using it to

feather their nests instead.

The company should be na-tionalised, and run democrati-cally by workers and consum-ers. That would save 11,000

jobs, and allow stores to re-spond to communities' house-hold product needs.

Nationalise BHS to save 11,000 jobs
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Greenhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Pensionhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Retailhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Workershttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Nationalisehttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Nationalisehttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Nationalisehttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Nationalisehttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Workershttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Retailhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Pensionhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Green


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Against a backdrop of attackson supermarket premium

payments and retail joblosses, the conference of Us-daw,the shop workers' union,took place in Blackpool on 24-27 April.

On day one, conferencepassed a motion committingthe union to fight to keepthese premium payments in

the future. As one delegatesaid: "Let them (the compa-

nies) try to impose thesechanges and we'll show themthis union has a backbone!"

A backbone that was decid-edly missing during recentpay deals when Usdaw nego-

tiated away these premiumsfor thousands of workers.

The conference was one ofthe most eventful in recenthistory and showed a marked

move to the left in the union.

This was heralded even priorto conference when the un-ion's executive overturnedUsdaw general secretary JohnHannett's recommendationson a number of internationalproposi t ions, inc ludingagainst Trident.

That Hannett at the confer-

ence then went on to give hisown view of opposition tothese, barely paying lip ser-vice to the position of the ex-ecutive council on the matter,sparked outrage among dele-gates, including those whoagreed with the argumentsHannett was putting.

The Trident proposition waslost but Hannett's actions will

have repercussions in the un-ion and will help further op-position on the executive

council to the union's democ-ratic defects under Hannett.

Branches have written to theEC on the issue.

Junior doctors

There was also significantsupport for the junior doctors'strike as the union waspushed into paying for trans-port for over 40 delegates

and visitors to support the lo-cal picket line in a marvellousand unprecedented display ofsolidarity.

The conference also passedseveral motions we had writ-ten including for a 10 anhour minimum wage and onthe anti-union laws and sup-ported other motions such ason renationalisation and tax

avoidance.

Usdaw conference shifts left and demands "backbone"

Usdaw members including EC members Amy Murphy, Kevin Doland and Maureen Bowen visit junior doctors
http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Usdawhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Usdawhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Unionhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Payhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Tridenthttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Councilhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Doctorshttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Minimum_wagehttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Minimum_wagehttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Doctorshttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Councilhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Tridenthttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Payhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Unionhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Usdawhttp://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Usdaw


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Those on the left of Usdawwere undoubtedly pleasantlysurprised when they heard

newly elected Labour-leaderJeremy Corbyn, who stood on aleft platform, would be speakingat ADM.

Given that by a slim majoritythe Usdaw EC supported Burn-ham, and Usdaw General Secre-tary John Hannetts links withLabour right group Progress,then it was unsurprising that

they wouldnt allow Corbyn tobe the only speaker, and wouldsupplement him with Alan John-son, Blairite cabinet ministerand now leader of Labour In forBritain, Labours remain cam-paign in the EU referendum.

Corbyn was in reality a breatheof fresh air to many members,the first left-wing Labour MPwho has spoken at ADM inyears after being treated to thelikes of Yvette Cooper andChukka Umuna in recent years.

In his speech he made it clearhe sided with trade unionists,

commenting on the ongoingNHS dispute Im with the juniordoctors. He also emphasised

that the defeat of the govern-ment on Sunday Trading wasnot just a parliamentary victory,but one won by campaigns onthe ground in communities andworkplaces.

Indeed, in his speech Corbynmade a number of points aboutUsdaws history (which is 125years this year since the forma-

tion of its predecessors) andgave a fairly solid speech.

Yet, the speech stayed awayfrom areas of controversy, in-cluding Trident renewal thatwould be later voted on at theconference.

Despite that, he gave a some-what different message to John-son. Whilst Corbyn was polite,Johnson went out of his way toingratiate himself, coming outwith the somewhat unbelievablestatement that John [Hannett]is an inspiring leader!!

Whilst Johnson tried to beautifythe EU in his speech, Corbyn atleast made some criticisms, say-

ing he didnt support a freemarket Europe or a BankersEurope. Yet this is a retreatfrom his previous positionwhere he would recognise thatthe EU was just that.

His retreat, is a reflection of thefact that whilst he has masssupport amongst labour mem-bers & supporters, it is limited

in the Parliamentary LabourParty, many of whom like JohnMann and others will stop atnothing to see Corbyn ousted,given what he and his support-ers represent they will neverreconcile themselves to him.

Rather than Corbyns supportersretreating like Momentum has,they need to carry the fight tothe right. A start would bemade by campaigning for nocuts policies in local authoritiesand the Welsh Assembly whereLabour holds power, campaign-ing for mandatory re-selectionof MPs.

Corbyn & Johnson at ADM: A Tale of Two Labours

Over 25 delegates, visitors and offi-cials at Usdaws 2016 ADM at-tended the annual Broad Left meet-ing on the eve of conference withnumerous apologies also given,making larger than previous years.

The meeting reported on the suc-cessful divisional meetings thattook place in the Southern, whereover 50 attended, and North Eastregions. While those in other divi-sions discussed holding meetings

which includes a planned meetingat Eastern divisional conference inJune.

Support for key motions on theagenda was discussed including onTrident and the demand for 10 anhour minimum wage as well as po-tential rule change propositions for2017.

It was agreed at the meeting thatsolidarity action with the junior doc-

tors on strike would be arrangedwhich resulted in over 40 delegatesvisiting the picket line at BlackpoolGeneral Hospital.

The annual Broad Left social nightwhich followed on 25 April kickedoff with a political discussion for thefirst time, with a speaker from Mo-mentum and discussion on JeremyCorbyn and the Labour Party.

Usdaw Broad Left meeting at ADM 2016


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900,000 fewer jobs in retail by2025thats the headline figure inthe first of a series of reports re-leased in February by the BritishRetail Consortium a body that

brings together most of the majorretail players in the UK. Fewer butbetter jobs is the first of a series ofreports considering the changeslikely to affect the retail industryover the next period.

As the report summarises, retail isbeing shook-up at the presenttime. Due to the impact of auster-ity through the restraining ofwages, then there has beenslower market growth followingthe financial crisis. Retail sales arecurrently growing by about two percent. This is low by historic stan-dards.

Secondly, given the growth of thediscounters there had beenovercapacity and intense competi-tion in the market which has led toa sustained period of price defla-

tion, linked to which is the trans-fer of retail sales from physical lo-cations to online which now ac-counts for 15% of sales. This hasalready led to there now being40,000 fewer shops today thanthere were in 2006.

The result has been to cut profit-ability in the sector, from 6-8% in2007 to 3-5%. This in itself is not a

threat if sales increase at a fasterrate to maintain the total profit.But the logic of capitalism, produc-

tion for profit, demands an expan-sion of returns on investment exemplified in some of the dodgypractices regarding suppliers ex-posed in Tesco in the last few

years.

Of course there are multiple waysaround this falling rate of profit forthe supermarket bosses, primarilythis has been expansion both geo-graphically and in footfall acrossstores, but the rise of the discount-ers has cut across this. Tesco andAsda in particular, have gained,reputations in the past for effec-tively cannibalising the independ-ent retail sector which accounts for65% of all retail outlets nationally,but last year this went into declineagain after a post-crisis recovery in2012.

Now they are attempting to cut offthe less profitable parts of theirbusinesses, with many of the bigretailers are closing stores as manyleases expire Tesco alone has

shut 43 stores and axed plans toopen another 49. 60% of retailleases are up for renewal in thenext five years, and the report sug-gests this will see a decrease of20% in retail space over that pe-riod (the document later puts for-ward an estimate of 74,000 clo-sures of 270,000 current stores).But whilst some retailers may closestores where they are oversaturat-

ing the market, or there is the pos-sibility for co-location which isrumoured to see a substantial clo-

sure of Argos stores after theirbuyout by Sainsburythere is alsothe counter-tendency of the dis-counters, especially Aldi and Lidl,opening hundreds of new stores.

Linked to this is demands forchanges in taxation. Like all busi-nesses, thinking of short-term gain,the less paid out in taxation ismore money that can be distrib-uted as profits. The retail compa-nies have a particular bone to pickthough with the way in which theTories have cut taxation. Like otherbusinesses, retailers have benefit-ted from the huge cuts to corpora-tion tax firstly from 30%-28%under Labours Gordon Brown in2007, and then from 28% to a rateof 17% by 2020 under Tory chan-cellor George Osborne. However,given retails property footprints,they pay far more in business ratesthan other companies. Far fromeven arguing for a rebalancing ofthe two to maintain current taxrevenues, they simply want various

measures to reduce the amountsthey pay in business rates!

The other way is through increas-ing productivity the output ofworkers. Retail 2020 tries to painta warm picture yes there will bestore closures and jobs lost butthose of you who remain will reachthe promised land and work in ahigh wage, high tech industry. The

report points out that productivityper hour increased across the retailindustry in 2013 and 2014.

Retail 2020a vision of the attacks to come

Supporters of the Activist were atthe forefront of a number of de-bates at this years ADM. This yearsaw the Activist run-out of copies

at ADM on a larger print-run thanusual. Alongside this over 80 cop-

ies of the Socialist were soldthroughout ADM.

The now annual Activist fringemeeting, this year discussing thetopic of defending premium pay-

ments, had probably the best dis-cussion yet.

Below we print an article based onone of the contributions at themeeting by Activist supporter IainDalton, where he analyses theplans of Retail bosses in the re-cently published first Retail 2020

report, part of a series laying outtheir plans for the future.

Activist at ADM 2016


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It estimates that a huge 60% ofretail jobs are at a high risk ofautomation, citing a recent studyby Deloitte. Undoubtedly there hasbeen a certain amount of invest-ment and automation most

stores have at least some self-scancheckouts, and versions that canhandle more goods and customersare being introduced. Some ware-houses have seen increasing auto-mation of good picking with ware-house workers simply putting to-gether orders in the same con-tainer of items that are roboticallytransported to them.

But there are serious limits to this,firstly in terms of the nature of howmuch can practically be imple-mented in customer facing environ-ment, which both have potentialsafety implications as well as thewillingness of customers to usethings (for example, the significantnumbers who refuse to use self-scan checkouts). But also in thewillingness of companies to invest

significantly in such technology the history of British capitalismover decades has been a refusal toinvest, instead favouring othermethods to attempt to boost pro-ductivity.

These other ways productivitygains can be achieved include hold-ing back pay/benefits or increasingthe intensity of work. For all the

talk of better jobs, the report indi-cates this is a key part of the mix.The report, of course, starts withthe good news that retailers aresupportive in principle of the gov-ernments living wage and thatmost retailers arent planning topay under 25s less. Let us remem-ber that the 7.20 an hour workerson this rate will receive is far lessthan the TUCs demand of a mini-mum wage for all of 10 an hour.

But the report suggests the figureof an extra 14bn costs by 2020 as

a result of these measures(although that is an amalgamationof all four years costs, as a yearlycost they estimate it at around4bn). How will they pay for this?The report states The actual costs

are likely to be reduced by a nar-rowing of the differentials in payfor performance, the reduction ofpremium payments and consolida-tion of benefits into pay. The at-tacks our members in Tesco, Co-op, Morrisons and elsewhere havefaced are part of this co-ordinatedassault.

The document also demonstrates

how retailers have held down pay,and at an increasingly dispropor-tionate manner to the rest of theeconomy. The percentage of peo-ple in low pay (ie less than 1.2% ofthe minimum wage) in general hasincreased from 15% to 21% be-tween 1990 and today. In retail ithas gone from 33% to a staggering57%! So for the right to even catchup a little on our employers holding

down of our wages, we are ex-pected to give up all the hard-wonconditions of the past.

It is clear that whatever promisesof a bright future for retail workers,this is largely just spin. In a systemdriven by profit, new technologywill become just another tool inminimising labour costs further andfurther. Whilst technology could be

alternatively used to lighten theburden of work on ordinary people,this will only comeabout it workerscome togethercollectively to re-sist the attacks onour jobs, pay andconditions, andfight for an alter-native way of run-ning society whereour needs comefirst, not last.

Tesco Dispute in Ireland

Tesco workers in Ireland,members of Mandate andSIPTU have both balloted forstrike action, against verysimilar proposals to thosethat Usdaw have accepted inthe UK attacking premiumpayments and other termsand conditions.

Whilst Mandate have calledoff two strike days that beenpreviously set, first for talkswith the employer that

proved fruitless, the secondhas brought Tesco to the La-bour court (the Irish equiva-lent of ACAS) as well as asuspension of implenetingthe attacks for the time be-ing. This results from Tescosfears of the disruptive impacta strike would have on itsability to open stores and

ultimately its profits.

This demonstrates thatwhere industrial action isproperly built for throughmass meetings and othermethods to organise andmobilise action it can forcethe employer back. Usdawmembers should emulate

such ideas here.

Mandate mass meeting of Tesco workers in Ireland


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Retail workers up and down thecountry will be celebrating thegovernments defeat of its plans todevolve Sunday Trading to localauthorities. A majority of 31 voteddown the governments plans in-cluding 27 Tory MPs.

Camerons reaction to the votehas been to declare that the plans

are dead in the water, but anumber of Tory MPs have arguedthat the votes of the SNP, whoopposed the changes, should notcount given the new English votesfor English laws provisions. Scot-land already has longer SundayTrading.

This factor, means that despitethe Tories saying they will not re-introduce these proposals, if thegovernment brings in limitationson Scottish MPs to vote onEnglish matters and with pressurefrom big business, may yet appearagain. The vote on 9 March was,after all, the third attempt by theTories to introduce such measures

in the last five years.

Clearly the vote is a great resultfor Usdaw members hard work incampaigning and lobbying in op-position to this vote. But given thevast majority of the big, urban lo-cal authorities are controlled byLabour, then serious opposition atthat level, a refusal to use powers

if granted to extend Sunday trad-ing, could have made this dead inthe water before now.

The task now is to use this victoryto give confidence to organise re-tail workers to halt the attacks onterms and conditions, particularlypremium payments that werestepped up in advance of this leg-

islation possibly coming in. Mobi-lising an active campaign for theTUC demand of a 10 an hourminimum wage, while defendinghard won premium payments andcampaigning for a minimum oftime-and-half for all working onSundays, must be the goal of Us-daw and other retail unions.

On the 4th May John Hannett senta group email to Usdaw membersasking that if we are members ofthe Co-op that we vote for HazelBlears to the Co-op Board of Direc-tors.

Hannett says that Hazel Blears is a

long-standing member of Usdaw,and claims that she hasconsistently supported Usdawmembers whilst an MP.

This is an interesting claim. WhilstBlears was an MP, and a memberof New Labour cabinets, she votedfor numerous policies which havemade the lives of ordinary Usdawmembers worse. She voted cuts inthe NHS, closures to maternity

wards and for foundation hospitals,all of which led the way for thecurrent Tory privatisation attempts

on the NHS which we all rely on.She voted for massive increases intuition fees and cuts to studentgrants making it more difficult foryoung and student members ofUsdaw to pursue an education.Whilst Counter-Terrorism ministershe endorsed racial profiling of

Muslims, helping to contribute tothe daily difficulties BME membersface.

Blears was also one of the mosthigh profile MPs caught up in theexpenses scandal. Whilst Usdawmembers struggled with increasingcost of living and low pay, Hazelwas living the life of luxury at ourexpense. Flipping the sale of herhouses to maximise her taxpayerfunded profits, whilst avoiding pay-ing Capital Gains Tax. Claiming

thousands in expenses for hotelcosts, food and furniture on topof her six-figure ministerial salary.

These are not the policies thatbenefit ordinary Usdaw members.These are not the politicians whowill fight in the interests of Usdaw

members.We need workers representativeson workers wages, who only takethe minimal expenses needed to dothe job. We need policies such as10 an hour minimum wage, ameaningful fightback against cutsto premium pay, campaigns forfree education and for a publicly-run fully-funded NHS. These arethe policies which will support Us-

daw members, Hazel Blears willnot.

Sunday Trading defeated, keepfighting for Premium Payments

Usdaw and the Co-op Board Elections

activist 62: post-adm 2016 special

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