Today workers from all over the world play an important role in retail, warehouse and distribution, and food manufacture. Many international trade unionists are playing a crucial role in our union but we still have the task of ensuring that all migrant workers are part of our movement.
How do we recruit migrant workers into the trade unions? Their recruitment is one of the major challenges facing the trade unions today. If outside of the trade unions, the 5.4% of all UK employees who are migrant workers are a gift to the employers to lower wages and conditions of all workers.
Usdaw recognises that employers are using ‘migrant workers as a cheap labour option’ and that ‘agencies often undercut the permanent workforce by compelling temporary agency workers to work for lower pay, terms and conditions.’
There are over two and half million retail workers not in unions, so for the unions to gain the confidence of low paid workers and migrant workers then there must be a serious commitment to winning decent wages. The unions should launch an extensive campaign of agitation to win retail workers to possible strike action and to ensure the bosses know the unions are really serious this time about fighting for a decent wage.
The companies we work for can afford it. Tesco has just announced $2.85 billion profit last year. And this just four years after breaking through the £2 billion barrier and eight years after reaching £1 billion profit. Yet, our members earn little more than the £5.52 minimum wage -. The starting salary with Tesco is £5.92.
Three of the four largest unions Usdaw, GMB and Unite (TGWU) all have agreements with the big four retailers. They should organise a joint national campaign to increase the wages for all retail workers. This method will show we fight for all workers including migrant workers.
These low wages has been accepted by our union for far too long. Join Usdaw and join the struggle for a £8 per hour minimum.
Vote Robbie Segal for General Secretary.
Showing posts with label living wage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label living wage. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Letter of Support
This is a letter we have recently received of support for Robbie. We republish it here anonymised.
I am the branch chairperson and senior rep. I write this letter today to appeal to all Usdaw union members to support Robbie in her bid to become General Secretary (GS) in the upcoming election. It is a rather lengthy letter but should take no more than five mins of your time to read.
I have been a member of Usdaw now for 15 Yrs and a rep for the past 12 of those years. I have no doubt in my mind after attending Usdaw’s recruiting academy, in 2005, of the way that this union works.
The rest of this letter is my opinion only and cannot be read as fact.
I believe that any notion of democracy in the truest sense of the word is now taking a back seat to a mild authoritarian stance with regard to the way that serving staff employed by the union are being pressured into supporting the present GS at the forth coming election.
I also believe that it is now time for serving staff to make up their minds and decide whether they joined the union to support its members or joined to make a career of off the back of members. This union, any union , should always be a machine that is put in place to truly support the lowest paid and most disadvantaged people in society. I’m afraid that I no longer believe that this union fully appreciates this point.
I’m not writing this letter with any sense of satisfaction, nor am I writing it for my fifth teen mins of fame. In fact I write with a sense of reluctance because I know that the up and coming debates at future conferences are going to be controversial and heated.
But these debates have to be had. They also have to be had in an atmosphere where people of all walks of life, including union officials, can feel comfortable to say what they want without fear of recrimination, and with a sense of constructiveness rather than tearing ourselves as a union apart, then we would be a union with true democracy.
I also believe that the leadership in this union are now far too comfortable with this right wing so called Labour Government. This union prides itself on being a campaigning union but the campaigns we run excluding the Freedom from Fear Campaign are all a little tame. Not one of them is going to upset this Govt.
We should be campaigning for:
· Inexpensive quality housing
· A decent living wage for all
· A reduction in working hours
· Abolition of draconian anti trade union laws
· Free higher education for all
· Abandonment of the two tier private / national health care system
· Improvement in employment laws.
These are in my opinion truly the sorts of campaigns this union should be running. These are the questions we should be putting to this Govt.
Whilst in Folkestone on the weekend of 21st of June 2008 attending our Summer Div Conference we had the opportunity to put questions to the GS and Deputy General Secretary (DGS). My question was as follows:
When will this union start to campaign for a decent living wage of £ 8.00ph for all of its 370,000 low paid members? This question I asked knowing full well that the decency threshold as defined by the E.U is £ 8.00 ph.
I am sorry to say that I got the very answer that I expected, that is to say that under the Tories we didn’t have a national minimum wage (NMW). This of course is true but two wrongs don’t make a right and £ 5.52 ph for a 22yr old is definitely wrong. I was also told that it was very easy for people campaigning to pluck figures out of the air.
I found the answer to be a little patronising and said as much to the DGS afterwards. This is not a figure plucked from the air but the E.U’s own decency threshold.
Of course the real worry in the answer is the unspoken truth, which is to say that this union at the moment will not take to Govt the issue of poverty pay.
I could go on but feel that anyone who reads this will have an idea of the way I feel and the point I am trying to make. I write this letter of my own accord without anyone asking me to do so and I write it because I truly believe that if we don’t stand up to be counted now my children and possibly their children will have to have these or worse arguments in their adult life.
I personally find it hard to understand why our leaders in the union have trouble understanding what it is that we are asking for.
I am the branch chairperson and senior rep. I write this letter today to appeal to all Usdaw union members to support Robbie in her bid to become General Secretary (GS) in the upcoming election. It is a rather lengthy letter but should take no more than five mins of your time to read.
I have been a member of Usdaw now for 15 Yrs and a rep for the past 12 of those years. I have no doubt in my mind after attending Usdaw’s recruiting academy, in 2005, of the way that this union works.
The rest of this letter is my opinion only and cannot be read as fact.
I believe that any notion of democracy in the truest sense of the word is now taking a back seat to a mild authoritarian stance with regard to the way that serving staff employed by the union are being pressured into supporting the present GS at the forth coming election.
I also believe that it is now time for serving staff to make up their minds and decide whether they joined the union to support its members or joined to make a career of off the back of members. This union, any union , should always be a machine that is put in place to truly support the lowest paid and most disadvantaged people in society. I’m afraid that I no longer believe that this union fully appreciates this point.
I’m not writing this letter with any sense of satisfaction, nor am I writing it for my fifth teen mins of fame. In fact I write with a sense of reluctance because I know that the up and coming debates at future conferences are going to be controversial and heated.
But these debates have to be had. They also have to be had in an atmosphere where people of all walks of life, including union officials, can feel comfortable to say what they want without fear of recrimination, and with a sense of constructiveness rather than tearing ourselves as a union apart, then we would be a union with true democracy.
I also believe that the leadership in this union are now far too comfortable with this right wing so called Labour Government. This union prides itself on being a campaigning union but the campaigns we run excluding the Freedom from Fear Campaign are all a little tame. Not one of them is going to upset this Govt.
We should be campaigning for:
· Inexpensive quality housing
· A decent living wage for all
· A reduction in working hours
· Abolition of draconian anti trade union laws
· Free higher education for all
· Abandonment of the two tier private / national health care system
· Improvement in employment laws.
These are in my opinion truly the sorts of campaigns this union should be running. These are the questions we should be putting to this Govt.
Whilst in Folkestone on the weekend of 21st of June 2008 attending our Summer Div Conference we had the opportunity to put questions to the GS and Deputy General Secretary (DGS). My question was as follows:
When will this union start to campaign for a decent living wage of £ 8.00ph for all of its 370,000 low paid members? This question I asked knowing full well that the decency threshold as defined by the E.U is £ 8.00 ph.
I am sorry to say that I got the very answer that I expected, that is to say that under the Tories we didn’t have a national minimum wage (NMW). This of course is true but two wrongs don’t make a right and £ 5.52 ph for a 22yr old is definitely wrong. I was also told that it was very easy for people campaigning to pluck figures out of the air.
I found the answer to be a little patronising and said as much to the DGS afterwards. This is not a figure plucked from the air but the E.U’s own decency threshold.
Of course the real worry in the answer is the unspoken truth, which is to say that this union at the moment will not take to Govt the issue of poverty pay.
I could go on but feel that anyone who reads this will have an idea of the way I feel and the point I am trying to make. I write this letter of my own accord without anyone asking me to do so and I write it because I truly believe that if we don’t stand up to be counted now my children and possibly their children will have to have these or worse arguments in their adult life.
I personally find it hard to understand why our leaders in the union have trouble understanding what it is that we are asking for.
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Appeal to Warehouse and Distribution Reps
This weekend sees the USDAW Warehouse and Distribution conference in Warrington - the following appeal will be circulated calling on members to support Robbie Segal's campaign.
- Usdaw General Secretary Election
- Fight for a living wage
- Against partnership
- Fight for trade union democracy
- A General Secretary on a worker’s wage
Dear Usdaw member,
AT LAST! Over 14 months after the proposition was passed at the ADM calling for a Conference, it is taking place. In my view at least three years too late. We have seen the closure of some of the depots with the best terms and conditions, other depots have been forced to accept a deterioration in their terms and conditions. This has happened while there has been an improper rush to sign as many new agreements as possible on terms and conditions well below the established depots. The danger is that these new sites will be used to undermine the conditions in the better organised depots.
The feeling is that Partnership is being forced upon us to ensure the continuation of the retail agreement and because the failure to organise the new sites.
I believe that this Conference should be the first step in organising the fight back. Usdaw needs to be a union based on the democratic participation of its membership. It is not just a question of listening but fighting on behalf of its members.
The press is full of stories about the UK economic problems. But with basic food and heating costs going through the roof, the workers on low pay, many of whom are our members, face hard times ahead. If there is a squeeze on profits then our bosses will look to save money. They are attacking us already. As a union we must prepare to fight these attacks on our wages and conditions.
I’m appealing for nominations for myself as the only anti-partnership and pro-democracy candidate. Although the general secretary had his EC endorsement printed on the circular announcing the election, there is no way the other candidates can circulate their programme to the branches. You might even have been pressurised by an official to vote for John – another example of the democratic process working. John might think this is fair but it is not my idea of trade union democracy.
We hear a lot about listening from New Labour and one of the candidates in this election. My approach will be different. Of course, I will listen. But we will discuss and debate and even argue. And then we take action. My attitude to a wage claim is that we consult and then campaign around the demands to ensure it is genuinely the members’ claim. If there is a need to fight then it will be up to the members to decide on the action. I believe the Union should be handed back to the members.
Distribution and Warehouse sites are now an important part of our Union. I believe that the present Area Organiser arrangements need changing. Over the last few years, there has been a reduction in the number of officials working in the Divisions. I will restore the numbers and in the Divisions with large numbers of warehouse and distribution members I will appoint a dedicated Area Organiser.
If you want to join the fight to change Usdaw then email me at: robbie@robbiesegal.org
- Usdaw General Secretary Election
- Fight for a living wage
- Against partnership
- Fight for trade union democracy
- A General Secretary on a worker’s wage
Dear Usdaw member,
AT LAST! Over 14 months after the proposition was passed at the ADM calling for a Conference, it is taking place. In my view at least three years too late. We have seen the closure of some of the depots with the best terms and conditions, other depots have been forced to accept a deterioration in their terms and conditions. This has happened while there has been an improper rush to sign as many new agreements as possible on terms and conditions well below the established depots. The danger is that these new sites will be used to undermine the conditions in the better organised depots.
The feeling is that Partnership is being forced upon us to ensure the continuation of the retail agreement and because the failure to organise the new sites.
I believe that this Conference should be the first step in organising the fight back. Usdaw needs to be a union based on the democratic participation of its membership. It is not just a question of listening but fighting on behalf of its members.
The press is full of stories about the UK economic problems. But with basic food and heating costs going through the roof, the workers on low pay, many of whom are our members, face hard times ahead. If there is a squeeze on profits then our bosses will look to save money. They are attacking us already. As a union we must prepare to fight these attacks on our wages and conditions.
I’m appealing for nominations for myself as the only anti-partnership and pro-democracy candidate. Although the general secretary had his EC endorsement printed on the circular announcing the election, there is no way the other candidates can circulate their programme to the branches. You might even have been pressurised by an official to vote for John – another example of the democratic process working. John might think this is fair but it is not my idea of trade union democracy.
We hear a lot about listening from New Labour and one of the candidates in this election. My approach will be different. Of course, I will listen. But we will discuss and debate and even argue. And then we take action. My attitude to a wage claim is that we consult and then campaign around the demands to ensure it is genuinely the members’ claim. If there is a need to fight then it will be up to the members to decide on the action. I believe the Union should be handed back to the members.
Distribution and Warehouse sites are now an important part of our Union. I believe that the present Area Organiser arrangements need changing. Over the last few years, there has been a reduction in the number of officials working in the Divisions. I will restore the numbers and in the Divisions with large numbers of warehouse and distribution members I will appoint a dedicated Area Organiser.
If you want to join the fight to change Usdaw then email me at: robbie@robbiesegal.org
Thursday, 12 June 2008
The Struggle For A living Wage
By Robbie Segal
(Usdaw General Secretary candidate)
The minimum wage for many of our members is an important issue. Shop workers are low paid and are paid the minimum wage or just above. As a Tesco worker I know what it is like to live on little more than the minimum wage year after year.
As part of my election programme I have called for an hourly rate of £8 per hour. At present, the minimum wage is £5.52 per hour if you are 22 and over - a 36.5 hour week gives you a weekly pay of £201.48. For younger workers the rate is even more pitiful. A worker aged 18-21 is on £4.60 per hour and £3.40 per hour for all workers under the age of 18.
Is this enough to live on!?With prices of all the main stable foods rocketing, and fuel for our car and to heat our homes becoming luxury items, the trade unions must intervene to end poverty wages.
For those living on the meagre wages of the National Minimum Wage, it is a disgrace to the fourth richest country in the world. If all those who set the National Minimum Wage had to live on such a wage then they would be the first to shout loudest for a massive increase.
Twenty years ago in Usdaw when the minimum wage debate started, the union agreed to fight for a weekly wage of £120 for a 35 hour week. When the New Labour government came to power, the trade unions compromised on a much lower minimum hourly rate. The National Minimum Wage was introduced in 1999 and was set at £3.60 per hour. For 35 hours pay this worked out at £144 per week. A few quid more than the original demand some 10 years earlier. This compromise meant the National Minimum Wage was a poverty wage.
The government’s increases have been the bench mark for our negotiations. For the companies who only pay pennies above the minimum wage, they have to offer us the same as the minimum wage increase. This year the minimum wage was increased by 3.8%. So let’s see what Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrison offer us!
The Tesco starter rate is £5.94 and that is a mere 42p above the minimum wage and that is one of the best agreements.
The government is squeezing the public sector pay and it won’t be long before the same will be demanded in the private sector. What will our leaders do then? With their partnership strategy and acceptance of such a low minimum wage rate, it will be impossible to mobilise Usdaw members to fight for a few pennies.
One of the criticisms made against me when I demand a decent wage is that the members are apathetic and this is shown by the lack of turn-out in wage ballots. I believe the reason the members don’t vote is because they feel outside the whole wage bargaining process, feel their point of view does not matter anyhow and if they did fight would our leaders be serious about the struggle.
It won’t be an easy campaign to win a decent wage but it is a battle that must be started. Otherwise the millions of retail workers outside the ranks of the trade unions will remain there and the bosses will be laughing for the rest of their lives with the luxuries they receive from the labour of poor retail workers.
I will argue on the EC and at ADM that we start a campaign of mass mobilisation around the £8 per hour demand. I will ask the other unions with members in retail sector to join the struggle. But the one thing I am sure of, it won’t be a campaign giving instructions from the leaders of Usdaw to the our members.
Three of the four largest unions Usdaw, GMB and Unite (TGWU) all have agreements with the big four retailers. The unions should organise a joint national campaign to increase the wages for all retail workers. The unions should launch an extensive campaign of agitation to win retail workers to possible strike action thus ensuring the employers know the unions are really serious this time about fighting for members.. This is why I believe that all the trade unions must unite in a campaign to secure for the low paid a decent, living wage.
(Usdaw General Secretary candidate)
The minimum wage for many of our members is an important issue. Shop workers are low paid and are paid the minimum wage or just above. As a Tesco worker I know what it is like to live on little more than the minimum wage year after year.
As part of my election programme I have called for an hourly rate of £8 per hour. At present, the minimum wage is £5.52 per hour if you are 22 and over - a 36.5 hour week gives you a weekly pay of £201.48. For younger workers the rate is even more pitiful. A worker aged 18-21 is on £4.60 per hour and £3.40 per hour for all workers under the age of 18.
Is this enough to live on!?With prices of all the main stable foods rocketing, and fuel for our car and to heat our homes becoming luxury items, the trade unions must intervene to end poverty wages.
For those living on the meagre wages of the National Minimum Wage, it is a disgrace to the fourth richest country in the world. If all those who set the National Minimum Wage had to live on such a wage then they would be the first to shout loudest for a massive increase.
Twenty years ago in Usdaw when the minimum wage debate started, the union agreed to fight for a weekly wage of £120 for a 35 hour week. When the New Labour government came to power, the trade unions compromised on a much lower minimum hourly rate. The National Minimum Wage was introduced in 1999 and was set at £3.60 per hour. For 35 hours pay this worked out at £144 per week. A few quid more than the original demand some 10 years earlier. This compromise meant the National Minimum Wage was a poverty wage.
The government’s increases have been the bench mark for our negotiations. For the companies who only pay pennies above the minimum wage, they have to offer us the same as the minimum wage increase. This year the minimum wage was increased by 3.8%. So let’s see what Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrison offer us!
The Tesco starter rate is £5.94 and that is a mere 42p above the minimum wage and that is one of the best agreements.
The government is squeezing the public sector pay and it won’t be long before the same will be demanded in the private sector. What will our leaders do then? With their partnership strategy and acceptance of such a low minimum wage rate, it will be impossible to mobilise Usdaw members to fight for a few pennies.
One of the criticisms made against me when I demand a decent wage is that the members are apathetic and this is shown by the lack of turn-out in wage ballots. I believe the reason the members don’t vote is because they feel outside the whole wage bargaining process, feel their point of view does not matter anyhow and if they did fight would our leaders be serious about the struggle.
It won’t be an easy campaign to win a decent wage but it is a battle that must be started. Otherwise the millions of retail workers outside the ranks of the trade unions will remain there and the bosses will be laughing for the rest of their lives with the luxuries they receive from the labour of poor retail workers.
I will argue on the EC and at ADM that we start a campaign of mass mobilisation around the £8 per hour demand. I will ask the other unions with members in retail sector to join the struggle. But the one thing I am sure of, it won’t be a campaign giving instructions from the leaders of Usdaw to the our members.
Three of the four largest unions Usdaw, GMB and Unite (TGWU) all have agreements with the big four retailers. The unions should organise a joint national campaign to increase the wages for all retail workers. The unions should launch an extensive campaign of agitation to win retail workers to possible strike action thus ensuring the employers know the unions are really serious this time about fighting for members.. This is why I believe that all the trade unions must unite in a campaign to secure for the low paid a decent, living wage.
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