The Socialist 13 January 2021

Our health and livelihoods before their profits

Our health and livelihoods before their profits

Londoners suffer and Khan piles on pressure

Bosses earn workers' annual wage in three days

NHS Emergency - Fight for a fully funded, publicly owned, socialist NHS

Dispatches from the front - health workers speak out

NHS pandemic warnings ignored - renationalise our NHS

Schools: Act together to oppose unsafe numbers and rising workload

Global capitalism at most dangerous conjuncture since the 1930s

Fully resource the vaccination programme now

Covid vaccine nationalism threatens pandemic response

How should socialists respond to the 6 January attacks on Capitol Hill?

Lockdown 3.0 - fight to make our shops safe!

Ryan Aldred: Why I'm standing for Usdaw's EC

Unison get sec election shows left can win NEC

Royal mail management forced to make concessions

British Gas workers strike against 'fire and rehire' plans

Get stuck in to build a fighting, democratic PCS union

Refund student rent and fees - fight for free education and make the 1% pay

Exams scrapped again - young people need a future with jobs and free education

Help us fund the fight for Socialism

TUSC to hold local elections conference in February

Book Review: Humankind - Dispelling the myth that humans are too selfish for socialism

PO Box 1398, Enfield EN1 9GT

020 8988 8777

[email protected]

Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/1116/31828

Search the site	Printable version

Home | The Socialist 13 January 2021 | Join the Socialist Party

Subscribe | Donate | Audio | PDF | ebook

Ryan Aldred: Why I'm standing for the Usdaw union executive council

Ryan Aldred, left, campaigning against Debenhams job losses and store closures (Click to enlarge)

With Covid decimating the retail sector, it is vital that Usdaw takes a lead in organising retail and distribution workers in supermarkets, high street chains and smaller, independent businesses.

Workers shouldn't pay for this crisis, every job must be defended.

We need an end to zero and low-hours contracts, except where members specifically opt in.

Supermarket and distribution staff have worked through three lockdowns to ensure that everyone in Britain has access to food. Retail and distribution workers should be rewarded with wages that reflect their status as key workers.

This is why we need £12 an hour as a minimum wage with hazard pay for workers putting themselves at risk to continue to deliver what has been recognised as a vital service.

We shouldn't shy away from taking industrial action up to and including strike action if supermarket bosses refuse to give up their bumper profits.

We need to challenge companies like Sainsbury's which can afford to pay out massive dividends to shareholders while simultaneously putting thousands of jobs at risk.

With each subsequent lockdown we have seen many names disappearing from the high street for good. We need a leadership prepared to roll out a retail industrial strategy calling for public ownership to save the hundreds of thousands of jobs currently at risk, whether it be Debenhams, the Arcadia Group or any of those on the growing list of retailers who have fallen into administration.

If elected, I would take such a strategy to the Usdaw executive council to ensure that key supermarket workers and non-essential retail and distribution workers alike are protected. A vote for me is a vote for a fighting, democratic leadership.

Socialist Party member Ryan is standing in the South Wales and Western Division, with ballot papers out on 18 January. See 'Ryan Aldred for Usdaw EC' on Facebook and usdawactivist.wordpress.com for more

In this issue

News

Our health and livelihoods before their profits