Usdaw conference


Stop the supermarket bosses’ attacks on workers

Iain Dalton, Vice-chair, Usdaw F148 (personal capacity)

The past year has been a bruising one for retail and distribution workers. One supermarket company after another has faced a crisis while high street shop closures have failed to significantly slow.

Retail workers still aren’t paid a living wage while our terms, conditions and pensions are under attack.

This impression is backed up by survey figures quoted in the ‘Cost of Living Crisis’ document being presented to Usdaw’s 2015 Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) in Blackpool.

Only 5% of respondents feel better off compared to five years ago. 31% have had their working hours cut and a measly 8% have had pay rises that keep up with inflation.

29% struggle to pay their bills every month, 52% occasionally struggle and 21% regularly go without meals. No wonder there are reports of supermarket workers using food banks.

Yet Usdaw’s response has been insufficient. Despite supporting the call at the TUC congress last year for a £10 an hour minimum wage, our leaders now support Labour’s far weaker £8 an hour by 2020 pledge.

Labour also says it will abolish only ‘exploitative’ zero-hour contracts – rather than banning them altogether.

In a climate where major supermarkets face multiple crises, financial fiddling as well as new challenges in the online and discount sectors, this may seem far off.

But despite the headline figures, the supermarkets still control the overwhelming majority of the food retail market and are profitable. Losses due to one-off write-downs are being used to justify forcing through attacks on our conditions.

Retail workers should stand firm and refuse to suffer as a consequence of the retail bosses’ mistakes. The support for this position was demonstrated by the 45% of the vote won by Socialist Party member Amy Murphy in the recent presidential elections.

Usdaw’s official opposition to pension changes in Tesco is welcome. But this shouldn’t just remain a negotiating stance, but be taken to its logical conclusion of a public and industrial campaign.

We need to campaign for a living wage for all retail and distribution and fight to defend and improve our existing terms and conditions. Doing so can also help Usdaw recruit the two million unorganised retail workers.

What will the general election mean for Usdaw members?

An Activist fringe meeting

6pm, Sunday 26 April
Britannia Room, Ruskin Hotel, Albert Road, Blackpool FY1 4PW

Chair, Amy Murphy, Usdaw executive member (personal capacity)