Socialist Party member Robbie Segal shook the entire shopworkers’ union Usdaw by gaining 40% of the vote for general secretary in the ballot result announced on 15 September 2008.
Robbie is a Tesco worker who on shoe-string resources and with a small band of activists, faced the entire Usdaw official machine. The incumbent, John Hannett, had the entire union behind him – except the members.
The votes were: Robbie Segal: 18,673, John Hannett: 27,320
Total voting: 46,002 (out of 348,278 members).
Robbie will now stand in the election for president of the union, due to be held early next year. She will be seeking nominations from Usdaw branches in the next few weeks.
