Support for No2EU at Usdaw conference

Socialist Party members at Usdaw conference this year got a lot of support, with shopworkers flocking to congratulate Robbie Segal on her 40.6% result in the general secretary elections earlier in the year.

Alex Gounelas

We called a broad left meeting with a speaker on the Visteon strike. It lead to an excellent and extensive debate on the future of the left in Britain given the nature of New Labour and the rise in militant trade unionism. "If the Visteon struggle had taken place before Woolworths went into administration, the Woolies workers may have taken a leaf from their book and fought back," said Robbie.

Five new people joined our Socialist Party Retail and Distribution activist network in order to receive our regular bulletins.

Although Robbie wasn't able to speak in the conference, as she attended as an executive committee member, two Socialist Party delegates managed to speak. They criticised Usdaw's current leadership for its incompetent handling of the Woolworths fiasco and raised the No2EU electoral challenge in the June EU elections. We argued that this initiative of Bob Crow is a real alternative in this election for shopworkers who feel betrayed by New Labour and disgusted that Usdaw donated £500,000 of our members' hard-earned dues to them this year.

A number of delegates approached us for more information on the No2EU list. The broad left, with Robbie re-elected to secretary, needs to now focus on growing. Robbie's election results show what kind of support the left can get under the current climate.

£500 was raised for the Socialist Party's fighting fund and around 50 copies of The Socialist were sold.