Top billing in the latest UnionDues podcast is shared this week.
From the front line
Prof Mel Simms’s thought4theweek concentrates on the links between community activism and trade union organising in the context of the Kenmure Street blockade to foil an attempt to deport two local residents. Mel was there and her piece has the special intensity of a lived experience that embodies the idea that “we are all from somewhere”. You can find out more on those links by scrolling back a to an episode in our first series featuring Becky Winson.
Shopworker transformation
And we catch up with retail sector union USDAW. Pre pandemic, few would have thought of supermarket staff as key workers, but now nobody would doubt the important contribution the made to keeping us going during the depths of the Covid crisis.
But this has not been an easy transformation – a survey of union members found nearly 90% had suffered abuse of one form or another, and 10% were actually assaulted. “Swearing, intimidation, threatening behaviour and having things thrown at you” were all too common during this period according to USDAW President Jane Jones – “only being sworn at twice” constituted a good day, she explains.
This no doubt goes a long way to explaining why the union’s campaign for legislation outlawing intimidation of shopworkers has attracted over 100,000 signatures.
But the union is also eye-catching for recruitment and organising. Retail is a high churn sector, and the high street is changing almost beyond recognition. The union regularly takes in 50, 60, 70,000 members a year, usually more than leave. And the demographics are striking – more young members and more young reps than just about any other union.
What’s the secret of success in mass-recruitment?
So what’s the secret? You’ll need to listen to the podcast to get the full story: We talk to Alex Wilson, new to the workplace and to unions on her “baptism of fire” – “when the lockdown happened all the other reps in my store went off to shield. I was left on my own. It was pretty intense,” is how she describes being for a time the only rep in a 300 member workplace with Covid raging.
Both Jane and Alex describe their union journeys – “I felt as though there weren’t any young reps, so I decided to stand” was Alex’s experience. And “I felt like I had found something I had a passion for, “ says Jane. As we all know, this passion and energy is the lifeblood of the movement.
Links
Unions21 podcast with USDAW GS Paddy Lillis
Unions21 podcast with Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ
#RadicalRoundUp
Josiah Mortimer from Left Foot Forward delivers an excellent RadicalRoundUp, including the welcome news of Unite’s win in persuading Go NorthWest to abandon fire-and-rehire plans – a decision that will have ramifications well beyond Greater Manchester. However, less positive is the latest news on BAME unemployment, and public sector pay deadlock.
Access the latest episode here and all previous episodes here.
Thanks for reading/listening/sharing/rating/subscribing, and stay safe.
Thanks to Becky Wright and Unions21 for arranging access to the podcast with Paddy Lillis.
