Bakers’ union calls for general strike

Video: Claire Laker Mansfield addresses the Bakers Union conference on behalf of Youth Fight for Jobs

“My message to Frances O’ Grady and the TUC is this: We’ve done the marches, attended the rallies and got nowhere. Snappy sound-bites and raising awareness guff has achieved nothing. Stop beating about the bush and make the call for a general strike.”

BFAWU bakers’ union president Ian Hodson made this call when opening the union’s annual conference on 8 June.

Bakers union workers (BFAWU) at the TUC demonstration in Manchester against Tory Party conference 29/09/13 demands Save our NHS, photo Paul Mattsson

Bakers union workers (BFAWU) at the TUC demonstration in Manchester against Tory Party conference 29/09/13 demands Save our NHS, photo Paul Mattsson   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

“To those employers who freeze or cut our pay, we will strike; reduce our terms and conditions, we will strike; attack our health and safety, we will strike; bring in slave labour workfare schemes, we will strike.”

He said the Hovis workers’ successful strike against zero-hour contracts last year and the global Fast Food Workers campaign are an inspiration. Ian got a massive ovation when he called for a £10 an hour living wage. The union, along with other groups including Youth Fight for Jobs, is leading the Fast Food Rights campaign in Britain.

The BFAWU also backs the NSSN, which with the Socialist Party, has led the call for a 24-hour general strike.

“The trade union movement will be judged as to how it responds to these challenges. The bottom line is there are close to seven million trade union members in the UK that would be virtually unstoppable if mobilised.”


National Shop Stewards Network eighth annual conference

11am-5pm, Saturday 5 July, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL – Delegate/visitor fee £6 – shopstewards.net

Confirmed speakers include a $15 Won! Seattle minimum wage campaigner, RMT president Peter Pinkney, Ronnie Draper BFAWU general secretary, POA general secretary Steve Gillan and Janice Godrich PCS president