Issue 70:
August 2017
the bulletin of
theActivist
TESCOS 10% PAY INCREASE
ACCOMPANIED BY CUTS AND JOB LOSSES
T
he headline figure in the
result of the latest Tesco pay
negotiations is a pay rise of
10.57% to 8.42, in Tescos
own words its biggest ever pay
award. And it is far higher than the pay
rises of 2% or less that I received when I
used to work for Tesco.
But in the detail below the headlines
its revealed that this rise will take place
over the course of the next two years,
straight away meaning that the increase
is actually just over 5% a year. And
this increase comes after small or no
increases in the last couple of years.
Another blow will be the decrease in
Sunday and bank holiday pay from time
and a half to time and a quarter, which
in Usdaws Network magazine for August
is flippantly brushed aside with the
justification that most companies already
pay a flat rate for bank holiday working.
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members in
And inflation is currently running at
around 3%.
So while a pay increase of 5% is welcome,
against a backdrop of cuts in terms and
conditions, now and previously, this is
merely playing catch-up. And while Usdaw
members will have different opinions over
the pay deal, the fact that yet again Tesco
workers dont get a vote on it means
there is no accountability.
And as one Tesco worker commented to
me, with the estimated 1,100 potential
job losses at its call centre in Cardiff and
possibly more at head office, Tesco is
moving money around the company as
opposed to making a large investment in
this offer. An investment it could afford
to do, with a rise in operating profit and
a 3.7 billion takeover of cash-and-carry
group Booker on the cards.
There is no excuse to close the call
centre in Cardiff which will be devastating
for those 1,100 workers and the local
area. Usdaw and the Welsh government
should put as much pressure on Tesco as
possible. The union in particular should
ballot for strike action over this and future
attacks on terms and conditions.
The Mandate trade union in Ireland
brought Tesco workers out on strike
earlier this year after Tesco tried to
change contracts and force workers to
take redundancy.
Their strike, which was extended
and spread with brilliant picket lines
throughout the dispute, was an
inspiration to workers here and shows
whats possible.
Usdaw should look to this as an example
in the fight to save jobs, terms and
conditions and to secure a 10 an hour
real living wage for all.
Scott Jones, Usdaw East London C026
branch chair (personal capacity)
theActivist
Retail workers from across Europe meet
A
ctivist supporters attending an
international meeting in Barcelona
convened an international
gathering of retail workers and trade
unionists in July to discuss the situations
in different countries.
Quite striking was the report from a
supermarket shop steward in Belgium
of the attacks being proposed by
managements there on terms and
conditions like workers in the major
supermarket chains have seen in the
last few years. Interestingly, some of
the unionised growing discount chains
in Britain, such as Lidl and Aldi, are
unionised in that country.
Come to NSSN TUC Congress Rally in Brighton
10 September: Smash the Tory pay cap!
Confirmed speakers: Mark Serwotka
PCS General Secretary, Steve Gillan POA
General Secretary, Ronnie Draper BFAWU
General Secretary, Sean Hoyle RMT
President, Amy Murphy USDAW Southern
Division NEC member and Len Hockey
Secretary Unite Barts NHS Trust branch
currently on strike. Chaired by Janice
Godrich PCS National President all wel-
come! We will also be giving a platform
to speakers from other current disputes
to build solidarity.
The NSSN is again organising a rally at
TUC Congress to fight for a strategy to
take on the Tories and the employers. At
the end of 2011, 2 million public sector
workers went on strike together to defend
their pensions. It shook Cameron and the
Tories but they were let off the hook by
conservative union leaders and the cuts
offensive stepped up a gear. We have
to organise to make sure that history
doesnt repeat itself in 2017.
The General Election result has shocked
the Tories and the media but it has con-
firmed that weve had enough of brutal
cuts. Jeremy Corbyns manifesto gave
workers the opportunity to express their
anger.
On the massive March 26th 2011 TUC
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the bulletin of
A report from Austria, pointed out that
the development of fresh layers of
workers pushing for improved conditions
and union recognition from below like
demonstration, up to 750,000 trade
unionists and anti-cuts campaigners
marched against Camerons austerity
plans. The NSSN produced a flyer that
day that warned This is the fight of our
livesliterally. The tragedy of Grenfell
has laid bare the effects of cut-backs,
privatisation and de-regulation that the
Tories call red-tape but actually protect
lives. The likes of Boris Johnson praise
emergency services workers, yet as
Mayor he closed 10 London fire stations
and sacked 600 firefighters.
Now workers have had their confidence
lifted and many feel that this weak Tory
Government, propped up by the DUP, can
be defeated. One of the first targets is
to break the 1% pay cap that has seen
public sector workers lose 14% of their
income in real terms. Teachers are also
fighting school funding cuts and NHS
workers want the vicious 22billion STP
attacks scrapped.
Workers will be asking: If the Tories can
find 1billion from their magic money
tree to do a deal with the DUP, why cant
we have a pay rise or why cant the cuts
be stopped?
We cancelled our 11th annual confer-
ence on July 1st to build for the emer-
members in
Deliveroo and Uber workers, extends
there with the left rallying around the
attempt to get workers council in the
Muller drug store company, with defence
of a victimised female union activist
being a focal point for International
Womens Day in Austria.
The Activist hopes to use the links we
are developing internationally to help
inform retail workers in the UK of the
situations of those working for the same
companies abroad as well as extend
our coverage (and solidarity with) the
struggles of retail and distribution
workers around the world.
Iain Dalton
gency Peoples Assembly demonstration
that was called days after the election.
We called for the TUC and the unions to
put themselves at the leadership of the
march to mobilise the strength of the
organised working-class. We support TUC
Congress motions from fighting unions
such as PCS that call for the launch of
a real mass struggle of demonstrations
and strikes, looking to co-ordinate across
the public sector. This could reach out to
the increasing number of disputes in the
private sector.
A real bold campaign is the best way to
overcome the higher voting thresholds in
the new Tory Trade Union Act. Although
ultimately we cant allow undemocratic
anti-union laws to stop our members de-
feating pay poverty that has seen nurses
and other public sector workers forced
to go to foodbanks particularly from a
government that couldnt win a majority!
Lets finish off the Tories, their pay cap
and the rest of their austerity!
Website www.shopstewards.net email
info@shopstewards.net twitter @NSSN_An-
tiCuts Facebook National Shop Stewards
Network
Email us on info@shopstewards.net if you
want to attend and need transport