The packed NSSN fringe meeting at Bakers Union conference
The packed NSSN fringe meeting at Bakers Union conference

Socialist Party members at the conference report

It was standing room only at a packed National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) meeting at the bakers’ union BFAWU conference. Conference delegates crowded in to hear Coventry bin striker Pete Randle, and Rob Williams, national chair of the NSSN.

Pete announced to the meeting that the bin workers have just renewed their strike mandate. Their re-ballot saw a 100% turnout and a massive ‘yes’ vote to continue the action!

He argued that now is the time for trade unions to fight together, and to build a political alternative to Starmer’s New Labour. This approach was a major factor in him deciding to join the Socialist Party, he said.

18 June demo

In encouraging everyone in the meeting to mobilise all they can for the 18 June national trade union demo, Rob said that if it were just down to the anger of working-class people, the demo would be massive.

There is still time to build it, and the NSSN will help to both build the demo and argue that the trade union leaders must pull out all the stops.

He pointed to the number of significant strikes in preparation and upcoming ballots, including on the railways and in Royal Mail and British Telecom. Each of us in our own unions must demand that the trade union leaders come together to coordinate ballots and action.

Youth Fight for Jobs

At the same time as the NSSN meeting, a joint meeting took place between the Zero Hours Justice campaign and Youth Fight for Jobs (YFJ). Theo Sharrief spoke from YFJ.

He explained the long relationship between the bakers’ union and YFJ, from leading the fight for £10 an hour minimum wage in 2015, to the Fast Food Rights campaign, and more.

The meeting agreed that it is vital to now campaign for £15 an hour. Theo emphasised the potential of the trade union movement to organise young workers and to tackle casualisation. Fighting for £15 would make a big difference to recruiting and mobilising young people. 

As the Socialist paper went to press, nearly 30 copies had been sold at the conference.