Bulletin of Socialist Party members in Strike Action Needed to Save Jobs at Tesco Distribution Centres

Tesco have been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. Firstly, the horsemeat scandal, which we covered in the previous issue of the Activist, but now also the tagging of warehouse workers in Ireland. Tesco has recently announced plans to close its Harlow, Chesterfield and Weybridge distribution centres as well as making job centres at two others. On the first two pages of the Activist we carry articles discussing how a campaign can be developed to stop the closure and defend all Strike action by Unite members at Tescos Doncaster depot forced jobs, as well as the threat from Tesco and Eddie Stobbart to concede more generous redundancy tagging. payments - action across the Tesco network could force more...

the Activist

Issue 41 April 2013

Tesco Attacks T&Cs - Coordinated industrial action demanded by USDAW EC member

Real pressure needs to be struggle. The article then explains 1. Convene a conference for reps
applied to Tesco from all angles to do the best for our members with all options looked at including coordinated industrial action with the other sites affected. The above words were written by Simon Vincent, an EC members and a worker at the Harlow depot, which is threatened with closure. His statement, that appears on the Eastern Divisions Facebook page, exposes the bankruptcy of Usdaws so-called partnership policy. The article states that the closure , You can only conclude that the decision . . . based purely on the fact that we enjoy some of the best terms and conditions in the business . . . The Activist warned this has been Tescos strategy to undermine hard earned gains of decades of when Tesco opens a new site the from all Tesco distribution centres terms and condition are some of the worst in the business. 2. Organise a programme of industrial action to defend jobs, We are informed that once these pay, terms and conditions in the sites are closed and the terms affected distribution centres and conditions are history, they are then reopened under new 3. Initiate a campaign to bring terms and conditions as with pay, terms and conditions up to Fenny Lock after making 800 the best levels in the warehouse & redundant. distribution sector across all Tesco distribution centres Simon calls for, Real pressure needs to be applied to Tesco from 4. Appeal to other unions in the all angles to do the best for our sector to support such a members with all options looked campaign at including coordinated industrial action with the other sites affected. The Activist support Simons proposals but calls for upon Usdaw to take immediate action.

7th annual conference takes place on Saturday 29th June, Camden Centre, Judd Street. London WC1H 9JE - 11-4 See www.shopstewards.net for info

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Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW

Tesco Distribution & Partnership - A Letter

Dear the Activist Thanks for sending Robbie Segals pamphlet. Massive shame that (John) Hannett never read her words on Distribution. Tesco announce attacks on workers at 7 distribution sites. Usdaw issues a press statement. But do nothing. Robbie said that distribution centres should not be left to be picked off one by one. That is what seems to have happened. Hannett open your eyes to what is happening, Your partnership strategy is failing. Jack, by email

Activist comment:
The points you make about Usdaws slavish support of partnership with the major retail companies was the reason Robbie and other on Usdaws left felt it was essential that John Hannett was challenged for the post of general secretary. The issue of the attacks against the well organised distribution centres was raised by the Soc ialist Part y supporters back in 2007, when all Tesco distribution sites were circulated with a leaflet calling for coordinated action to defend terms and conditions.

3. Closure of Weybridge affecting 562 staff 4. Reduction in staff numbers at Magor by 146 5. Reduction in staff numbers at Welham Green by 70 Usdaws response is to examine the business case for these proposed changes. Our members have the right to ask is that all we are going to do. And, surely we already know the business case.

Usdaws leaders in 1998 argued for a partnership strategy that declared, It During the 2008 Usdaw general means the union is consulted on a secretary election, the matter was wide range of issues and Partnership again raised. Robbies warnings were means proper dialogue with the union ignored. before decisions are taken. A recent Usdaw press release, giving the latest number of job loses, illustrates the dangers of Hannetts passive attitude towards all Tescos actions: Clearly, Tesco have a long term strategy of weakening our members T&Cs in distribution centres and over the last decade have been slowly implement it, Whereas, Usdaws response is to examine the business 1. Closure of Harlow affecting 562 staff case. As the emalier rightly points out Your partnership strategy is failing. 2. Closure of Chesterfield affecting 343 The Activist considers it is about time the industrial approach of partnership staff is reassessed by the ADM.

Last years ADM saw widespread opposition to the partnership strategy

Tesco Warehouse Workers in Ireland Tagged

Irish news has reported that Tesco at the Donabate warehouse in Dublin has come up with a new gadget to monitor staff performance. The motorola device tracks staff movement and records speed at which orders are picked from the warehouse and also rates the speed of forklift drivers. It grades the staff based on speed which raises levels of competition in the workplace which will no doubt lead to increased pressure on the mainly Eastern European workers to do as much work as possible. water or need to stop during the shift at any other time. Which means that your productivity score at the end of the day will include any pauses. This could have an effect in union organisation (not to mention health and safety concerns) if staff are rushing around preventing them from communicating with others.
First workfare, now tagging, USDAW must organise to defend workers

In the last five years the average number of employees in a 40,000 foot Tesco superstore has fallen by 18%. This is partly due to them replacing cashiers with self-service tills and the introduction of schemes The staff can turn it off when on their such as the dreaded SYA (in 2004), lunch break but then it keeps rolling its sickness and absence policy the while you take a toilet break, drink of most common reason for disciplinary

hearings, a scheme piloted by Tesco and then introduced into the public sector. The workers are organised in SIPTU but pressure needs to be put on Usdaw to be on watch for similar practices spreading to the UK.

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Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW

Re-nationalise Thomas Cook to Save Jobs

Last week Thomas Cook announced it would be closing 119 Co-operative Travel and 76 Thomas Cook stores, closing its Accrington call centre and making 2,500 workers redundant (15% of its workforce), as well as various other attacks on terms and conditions. This comes on top of 1,100 job losses, 149 store closures and the closure of its Bradford administration centre in t h e l a s t y e a r . Thomas Cook was nationalised in 1948 as part of the four major railways companies which were also taken into public ownership, but was privatised in 1972, bought by a consortium of Midland Bank, action it can and will take if Trust House Forte and the AA. negotiations refuse to change Thomas Cooks position. To defend jobs at the company, it should be brought back into public Four years ago workers occupied a ownership, but this time under Thomas Cook office in Ireland to democratic workers control, with save their jobs (see http:// elected bodies of travel workers w w w . s o c i a l i s t w o r l d . n e t / and customers to discuss and eng/2009/08/0302.html). Whilst this decide how the company should o c cu pat i o n wa s eve n t u a l l y p r o v i d e t r a v e l s e r v i c e s . defeated and the jobs lost, it did set the tone for future occupations by Whilst Unite and TSSA also workers losing their jobs at La represent Thomas Cook workers, Senza, Game and HMV all of Usdaw has 1,200 members in Co- wh o m a c h ie ve d si g n if i ca nt operative Travel part of the concessions. Similar action, or business. In its recent press strike action, at Thomas Cook release, Usdaw states that it will do could help build a campaign to all it can to save its members jobs, save jobs and re-nationalise the without concretely spelling out what company.

Robbie Remembered at Socialist Party Congress

In early March the Socialist Party held its annual congress (conference) in Clacton on Sea. As well as featuring three days of discussion on the situation in Britain, the campaigns against cuts and austerity and how to take the Socialist Party forward, it also featured a special session to pay tribute to two leading Socialist Party trade union militants, one of whom was Robbie Segal. The session was introduced by Bill Mullins who paid tribute to Robbies activities in Usdaw, where she was almost a lone voice at times on the EC arguing more a militant strategy to defend members instead of the ever more failing partnership strategy. Bill recounted on occasion at a TUC fringe meeting where Robbie was heckled by the then Usdaw president and other leading figures of the union for daring to question their misleadership. Bill also recounted how, when often lacking in mainstream media. She put forward a genuine way forward to save the jobs of Woolworths workers by demanding the government take Woolworths into public ownership. At the Congress there was also a meeting for Usdaw members in the party. This reviewed the progress made in the last year by the Activist, with its new attractive design. The Activist is now being published bi-monthly with occasional specials (3 were produced last year on the workfare scandal, ADM and the TUC demo). Articles are also being published between this on the Activist blog www.usdawactivist.wordpress.com More impressive is the growth of Usdaw reps in the Socialist Party which has doubled in the last year. We hope this will continue as we carry on the task of offering an alternative to the failed strategies of USDAWs leadership.

Robbie Segal - R.I.P.

Woolworths entered administration, Newsnight contacted Usdaws leadership to comment on what was going on. However, they refused to do so as not to upset the then Labour government. Instead, Robbie was contacted to appear and instantly did so to offer a point of view from retail workers that is too

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Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW

USDAW and the General Strike

A month from now the TUC general council will meet with plans for a 24 hour general strike high on the agenda. At last years TUC congress in Brighton a majority backed the Prison Off icers Association wh o demanded that the TUC consider the practicalities of a general strike. But plans for such action have yet to materialise mainly because of opposition from some unions to strike action and the specific demand of a general strike. These include my own union, Usdaw, the shop workers union. Whereas a large proportion of the trade union movement in Britain, led by militant unions such as the RMT and PCS, believe the fightback against austerity should now move onto the industrial plane with organised strike action being called, some other unions have raised objections or declared outright opposition. Along with Usdaw, Prospect and Community are two others who are dragging their heels. They put forward two main reasons against strike action. Firstly that strike action would prove a distraction or give the government a stick with which to beat the unions with. Well quite frankly, this allegation can be countered by simply saying the government are already beating us and its hurting very much! The second excuse they use is that their members would not be willing to take general strike action. As a shop steward and somebody who works alongside members every day unlike John Hannett, the general secretary of Usdaw, I can confirm there is immense willingness to take strike action as a means of stopping austerity and fighting back against employers. Usdaw members looked in envy at public sector workers in November 2011 when they took part in one of the largest strikes in British history. The strike was mainly in defence of pensions, whilst in contrast Usdaw meekly accepted a worsening pension deal from Tesco for its workers without even consulting their members, all we had was a letter through the door telling us that the union backs the change which means workers work for longer and get less at the end. I am frequently asked if we will take strike action in my workplace and comments like I think we should all just go on strike, are not uncommon either. It is true that the confidence of the working class isnt at its highest and people are fearing for their jobs but when the demand for a 24 hour general strike is explained to members and the need for such action to defend workers against government and employer attacks then members are willing to forfeit a days pay as if things continue they will lose a lot more in the long term. Tesco drivers in Doncaster who went on strike last year after their contracts were transferred to Eddie Stobart, who offered them a s t a r k c h o i c e b e t we e n redundancy or taking new jobs with terms and conditions, showed the way as they went on an all out strike and won improved redundancy terms. The lesson is that action works, if you try you might win concessions, if you dont then you automatically lose. We need to follow those drivers and our brothers and sisters in the PCS and teaching unions who are taking strike action to fight back against austerity and defend services and jobs such as Tesco distribution centres which are under threat of closure. Our unions should be leading the fightback against attacks on working class people and raising the conciousness of their members in how and why to change society, I hope in April at the TUC general council meeting that the RMT and their allies who have declared that a general strike call is a golden opportunity to reach out to working people, win the argument and that Usdaw and other strike nay sayers listen to their members and join the fightback in earnest!

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Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW

Mailbag
Labour Vote Defends Workfare
After rulings in the courts condemned the Tories workfare legislation they have rushed legislation through parliament to retrospectively change the law to rule out repayments of money taken from jobseekers in often arbitrary sanctions. Labour abstained , on the basis they had extracted a measly concession from the Tories of a report to parliament . Only one of the Usdaw group of MPs joined 43 other Labour rebels to oppose the bill. We print a letter we received a copy of on this subject below only adding that the Activist believes there is an alternative the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coaltion (www.tusc.org.uk) who recently beat a Labour-backed candidate in a town council election in Maltby near Rotherham. Dear Mr Esterton MP, I'd like to thank you for being the only one of the 29 MPs Usdaw sponsors that actually voted in opposition to the governments rushing of the Job Seekers (Back to Work) Bill through parliament that is stopping the rebate of sanctions taken from job seekers, often for the most spurious reasons. I have many friends who have suffered at the hands of this, frustrated on being sent on pointless courses to teach them how to write CVs etc, when the problem is that there simply isn't enough permanent, full time jobs out there where people earn enough money to live off.

Needless to say, I'm disappointed that the other MPs sponsored by my union didn't vote the same way as you. When the workfare scandal broke, members of our union were pretty clear at the divisional conference I attended around that time that we thought what the government was doing, in trying to make young people work for their dole instead of creating real, permanent jobs for them, was disgraceful. The benefit sanctions to bully unemployed people into acceptance of this state of affairs is equally so. A political party that wants to represent trade unions and ordinary working people should have voted in the same way you did, but instead I feel Labour as a whole have let me and many other people down once again as on other issues like tuition fees, the Iraq war, 10p tax rate, not repealing the anti-union laws and several other issues that matter to me.

Frustrations with lack of democracy in USDAW

I read the article in the last Activist on re-starting a branch with a paper existence with interest. I have had to deal with the right wing tactics of the leadership myself. I have been a rep for less than a year and within my company we have practically no facility time unless it is to represent at disciplinary or grievance hearing and no branch meetings are held. These are both tactics deployed in order for democratic debate within the membership to be suppressed. While I am trying to have these matters addressed, at the beginning of December a memo came round my company explaining that after some tense negotiations the between the bosses and the union they were pleased to announce an offer of a 2% pay rise and the union were recommending acceptance. The memo also explained that the ballot was to be started and ended within 2 weeks of the announcement being made.

Justice for Shrewsbury 24

the

In 1972 building workers held a national strike for better pay and conditions. 5 months later, out of the blue, 24 activists in that strike were dragged into court and six were sent to prison, including actor Ricky Tomlinson who was then a plasterer I was enraged by the fact that there was no consultation with the This was trade union victimisation membership and that the short of workers in dsipute, and since ballot would not allow me to then have been fighting for justice. They currently have an e-petition campaign against this pay cut. I to gain access to documents realise 2% may seem good, but to showing this was a fit-up at http:// our low paid members this is 13 e p e t i t i o n s . d i r e c t . g o v . u k / pence an hour. When you couple petitions/35394 - they need this with the fact that the company 100,000 signatures before June made an 65million profits of then 27th. Please sign it. the workers deserve much better.

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