theActivist members in ENGLAND & WALES

Issue 115
November 2022

IRELAND

Usdaw general secretary election - the fight continues

SOCIALIST PARTY MEMBERS IN USDAW

P
addy Lillis has been re-
elected unopposed as
Usdaw general secre-
tary following the nomi-
nation process which
saw Socialist Party member Scott
Jones receive eight nominations,
short of the required amount.
Scott stood to try to force an
election for general secretary for
the first time since 2008, and a
therefore a debate about the di-
rection of the union. Scott stood
on a platform of fighting for bet-
ter pay - the need to fight for
better deals to beat the cost-of-
living crisis and win new mem-
bers to the union, vital given that ▶▶▶ SCOTT (RIGHT) ON SAINSBURY’S PICKET LINE IN 2019, ALONGSIDE FELLOW SOCIALIST PARTY MEMBER
we have 50,000 fewer members AND FORMER USDAW PRESIDENT AMY MURPHY (LEFT)
than Usdaw had five years ago. A
programme of joining the trade pay, show that shop and distri-
union fightback, more union de- bution workers in the union are
mocracy - only half of branches
nominated either candidate at
prepared to fight back.
Scott’s campaign won the sup-
Usdaw staff On Wednesday evening I was
shocked to see an e-mail being
all - and a workers’ general sec- port of a number of branches strike over pay shared on social media which

and working
retary on a workers’ wage. who either nominated him or indicated that Usdaw staff in
If we are to harness the poten- tried to, as well as a number of the GMB who were in dispute
tial power we have as a union of
over 350,000 members, then we
activists and members in the
union. The task is now to build arrangements over their recent pay negotia-
tions, would be in the words of
must seek to involve as many of on this and continue the fight in the GMB “locking out their own
our members as possible in our future elections such as the up- Usdaw clerical and ancillary staff”. I was very disappointed
activities, whether that be as a rep, coming EC election. staff, organised in the GMB to see that such a tactic that we
in their local branch, or beyond. ●● Join us in that fightback union, took strike action in would condemn any other em-
It is a shame that during this by joining the Usdaw Broad September in a dispute over ployer for using was being used
current strike wave, the only dis- Left (https://tinyurl.com/ pay and hybrid working. This by my own trade union.
pute Usdaw is involved in is with usdawbroadleft) and the has recently been followed by a That made my mind up to go
its own staff! Socialist Party. further two half-day strikes until down to the picket line to speak
Under previous rules Scott 12 noon on October 27th and with the strikers about the dis-
would be on the ballot paper 28th, where Usdaw’s leadership pute. Usdaw’s new office at Sal-
but the required number was
Join the fightback locked out striking workers for ford Quay was shut for the whole
upped to 25 after left candidate
and Socialist Party member Rob-
JOIN THE the rest of both of those days. Iain
Dalton, an Usdaw member who
of the two days on which strike
action was taking place, with ar-
bie Segal ran and won 40% of the
vote in 2008.
SOCIALISTS is also a member of the Socialist
Party, went along to the picket
rangements apparently in place
for any staff not involved in the
●● Visit socialistparty.org.uk/join
Strikes in recent years and in ●● or call 020 8988 8777 line outside Usdaw’s Salford strike to work from home.
Tesco distribution, where last ●● or text your name and Quays office on October 27th. We On the picket line were staff
year’s threatened strike action postcode to 07761 818 206 asked him to give us his thoughts from a range of departments,
to find out more today!
saw Tesco bosses concede higher from the picket line. ▶▶▶ CONTINUED OVER

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theActivist the bulletin of members in

including legal, IT, research,

HR, education and others.
Along with several trade un-
ionists involved in local trades
councils, I was welcomed by the
strikers, many of whom wanted
to know what ordinary Usdaw
members knew and thought
about the strike.
A common feeling amongst
the strikers was that they felt
Usdaw’s ‘senior leadership’
who have been involved in the
negotiations with the GMB
were not prepared to listen to that other staff members would attire to work in the afternoon if from the approach they have
ideas or suggestions from staff benefit from that being an option there was a last minute. There taken on these two days and
members, which is why GMB and that they felt as a result mem- was surprise that a trade union meet with GMB representatives
members had voted over- bers would get a better service. employer would engage in such urgently so that this dispute
whelmingly to put discussions Some of the strikers were a practice. To emphasis this at can be resolved. A commit-
on hybrid working forward as shocked that they had been 12 o’clock the strikers queued ment to a timetable to be able
part of the discussion on pay. locked out in the afternoon, up to be let in to work. to introduce the necessary pol-
Several of the strikers told me with a number pointing out to I personally hope that the icy for hybrid working I think
they personally didn’t want to me that they had come to the senior leadership in Usdaw in- would go along way towards
work from home, but they knew picket line dressed in the correct volved in the dispute step back doing that.

an offer made at a meeting they had representing other sections of staff Q. Who in Usdaw’s leadership has
Strike Q&A no representation at. (such as the Officals Association the power to resolve this dispute?
It is clear that the decision to bal- here), Usdaw members wouldn;t be The ultimate authority in Usdaw be-
Q. Paddy Lillis has said the majority lot CASA members was intended to bound by that other union accept- tween Annual Delegate Meetings is the
of Usdaw staff have accepted the split the workforce within the cleri- ance if we rejected it - so why should union’s National Executive Committee
offer, should GMB members be tak- cal and ancillary bargaining unit; the Usdaw staff be any different. In fact, (NEC), made up of 15 members elect-
ing strike if that’s the case? first of a number of anti trade union to consider the opposite situation ed on a regional basis, the President
Usdaw’s staff are represented by tactics deployed by the Union’s sen- where different unions were jointly and the General Secretary. Whilst in
2 bargaining units. The first is the ior management team. representing members doing the the rulebook the latter specifically has
Officials Association which repre- The increase was subsequently same roles, there would be an ex- the duty to “superintend and direct the
sents Area Organisers. The second applied to CASA members leaving pectation between the unions nego- work of all employees of the union”,
consists of 2 different organisa- GMB members seeking further ne- tiators to work jointly to harmonise/ the NEC additionally has “full control
tions representing clerical and an- gotiations. Interesingly, colleagues match any increase; not apply an of the business of the union”. This
cillary workers nationally; these are not members of any organisation are increase to undermine any outstand- means that the NEC could instruct the
GMBx39 members and CASA mem- also awaiting any increase whilst the ing dispute as seen here. GS or any other representatives of the
bers which historically has operated dispute rolls on. union that are involved in negotiations
as an independent staff association. The clerical and ancillary work- Q. Why should Usdaw staff be al- with GMB X39 branch to restart those
The Union now holds joint pay ne- force is now in a position whereby lowed to work hybridly when that negotiatons and put forward a time-
gotiations, however, CASA members colleagues employed in roles on the simply isn’t possible for many Us- table to discuss implementing hybrid
were not represented due to not hav- same grading structure are being daw members in retail, distribution working for staff.
ing any representatives or genuine paid differently. and manufacturing?
functionality over recent years. According to the 2021 Annual As a result of the pandemic many Q. What can I do as an Usdaw mem-
The Officals Association narrowly Report, Usdaw has in total 372 em- companies have introduced hybrid ber to help resolve this dispute?
accepted the offer and GMB mem- ployees, this includes Departmental working policies, and quite rightly Individually you could write to the
bers overwhelmingly rejected it. The Managers at central office and in our members in those companies General Secretary or your region’s
bone of contention throughout these the regions and 97 Area Organisers. should be able to access that if NEC members calling on them to re-
negotiations is that the manage- So GMB’s membership represents a they so wish. But it totally undercuts enter negotiations with GMB and put
ment of the Union saw fit to ballot sizeable proportion of the ancillary our negotiators position on these forward a timetable to discuss imple-
CASA members on the offer who also and clerical workers. Moreover, they issues if we are denying that right menting hybrid working. But you can
accepted. have had a legitimate strike action to the union’s own staff; not least also raise the issue at your Usdaw
The question rises of how inde- ballot to legally take action. by refusing to act in-line with Trade branch and ask them to write to the
pendent CASA actually is if Manage- If another union in our work- union values and consult with their NEC as a whole with those demands
ment of the Union can ballot them on places accepted an offer, especially workers. as well.

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