McDonald's strikers on the TUC march, 12.5.18, photo Paul Mattsson

McDonald’s strikers on the TUC march, 12.5.18, photo Paul Mattsson   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Richard, Hatfield Socialist Party and Watford McDonald’s BFAWU member

The 100th annual conference of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) was held in Southport from 10-14 June.

The opening day saw McStriker Lauren McCourt awarded the young members award for her brilliant work organising the McStrike in Manchester by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The conference also elected Lauren onto the executive council as youth representative.

Myself and another Socialist Party member (who joined the Socialist Party during the McStrike in Watford) met Corbyn at our hotel as well and he thanked us for participating in the strike and told supporters around him: “It’s not me, it’s all of you who will make change.”

A sentiment I endorse. Indeed if a Corbyn-led Labour government is to come to power and implement any of its popular manifesto pledges then we must organise in the workplaces and on the streets to kick out the Tories.

Corbtyn must actively support these struggles and the labour movement must then play an active role in organising to support Corbyn while in power.

Precarious

The conference was addressed by a number of young workers in precarious employment. Hearing about young workers mobilising in their workplaces and fighting back against poverty pay and for better conditions alongside the McStrikers was inspiring and shows that the McStrike is beginning to spread to other fast food outlets.

A rally was also held against the Sun newspaper. The Sun is a toxic paper for working class people and the labour movement, from its disgusting reporting around Hillsborough through to the McStrike today, the Sun has proved time and again to be a paper of lies.

The conference unanimously passed a motion banning the paper from any bakers’ union meetings and the annual conference.

45 copies of the Socialist paper were sold at the conference.