Ryan Aldred, Plymouth Socialist Party and Broad Left candidate for the South Wales and Western seat on Usdaw’s NEC
Members of retail union Usdaw are voting for a new National Executive Committee (NEC) in a ballot from 22 January – 16 February.
The pandemic made clear that our members are key workers and yet we still don’t receive wages which show this. We need a strategy for action to secure the wages we deserve. I have campaigned for this to taken up by the union, including moving a composite proposition for £15 an hour at the 2022 ADM.
With Wilko joining a whole list of retail chains that have collapsed in the recent period, we need a bold strategy to defend high street retail jobs and protect members’ terms and conditions, including calling for nationalisation.
It has been hugely emboldening to see millions of trade unionists taking industrial action over the last 18 months, securing better pay in the process. I believe the Usdaw leadership should prepare a campaign of industrial action to deliver what our members desperately need.
With the Tories introducing Minimum Service Level (MSL) legislation, our right to strike has been threatened. Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis moved the Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Council statement at December’s Special Congress. Now we need to put that into practice, with a strategy of non-compliance and action to make MSLs unworkable.
Usdaw Broad Left also demands
- No retreat on health and safety
- Organise the unorganised workers in the discounters and gig economy
- No to ‘partnership approaches’ which only benefit the bosses
- A democratic and accountable union
- An anti-austerity political voice for workers
If you would like to help campaign for a socialist, fighting and democratic union, contact Ryan on Facebook: Ryan Aldred for Usdaw NEC or email [email protected]
