REPORT OF WORKSHOP ON

Organising in the Workplace and Young Workers, 28.6.08 (2nd NSSN National Conference)

Speakers: Ian Allinson, UNITE-Amicus, Fujitsu
Pat Carmody, CWU telecoms (Call Centre)
Mark Chisman, PCS Young Members National Committee
Rob Wotherspoon, CWU postal

Chair: Sheila Cohen, NUJ/UCU, co-Organiser NSSN 2007-8

Mark Chisman argued that the NSSN should prioritise the issue of organising young workers. We should argue for decreased subs for young workers, especially in Unite and the GMB. There should be young members' sections in all unions. Mark pointed out that for most young workers unions are not a priority - employment is their first priority. Therefore, the onus lies with unions in organising young workers. In PCS they had done this by setting up the Young Members National Committee, and he urged the NSSN to create a similar structure.

Pat Carmody related how the young people he had worked with were very enthusiastic about unions. 18 years ago, when he had started work in the Civil Service, it was a case of: "Join the trade union Monday, strike Tuesday, become a rep Wednesday." This can't be expected of young workers today, but you can talk to them about trade unionism. People say young people are "apathetic", but this isn't the case. For example, many were very militant about the anti-war movement, with 400 workplaces coming out for the big demonstration.
Originally in his call centre six people had been in the union - it was now about 120. Chair is a 22-year-old Black woman - a "class fighter". On the other hand, one woman who had become involved for the first time and came out as gay found union branch meetings very offputting - she was the youngest by 20 years and no one talked to her. We have to change that.
Other suggestions: tap into bigger ideas in society, eg show the film "Bread and Roses".
Hold a "Pay Rise Party".
Make sure subs are as low as possible.
If near a university, make contact with students/workers.
Young workers' issues include student debt and often homelessness, but otherwise are not that different from those of other workers.
The "old ways" are shown by victories like that of the Shell tanker drivers which teach young workers that the movement has not been destroyed by the Thatcher years.

Rob Wotherspoon related how his members had won a fantastic victory. He had been a rep for a year and a half - previously there had been no rep for years. 100 staff at delivery office. The bullying manager treated the whole office "like his personal kingdom". For example they had a system of 6-day working with every 6th week off - management decided to change this for no reason and also took away sick pay.
We ended up setting a date for industrial action which coincided with the national action last year. Senior management was spreading lies and things looked rocky, but then with strike meetings running parallel with the national action there was a great atmosphere. On the first strike day, we got rid of the management bully; on the second, we got rid of the new system he had tried to impose.
Success came from members standing together, genuine solidarity. Support from other unions across the city. Help from the union branch, with newsletters etc.
As regards young workers, some things are universal, young or old. For example, need to communicate with members at all times, make reps and officials accountable, hold mass meetings, reps not to sign anything without the backing of the members.
Workers don't want "partnership" - they want someone who will stick up and fight for them.
Young workers may not "know" much, but the realities of working life teach them.
We fought for the same conditions as ours to be offered to new entrants. They fought with us for better pensions. The young came out for the old and vice versa.

Ian Allinson Told of Fujitsu workers' 17 days on strike in 2007 over a wide range of issues including management's attack on union recognition. They have now extended recognition.
Some people's arguments that you "can't get reps" and "can't get people involved" forget why we do things - anger.
Also hope. Trade unions are not offering hope. We've got to tap into anger and provide hope.
Workers have to see what they can do that can make a difference. By asking people to do small specific things, you get them on the "slippery slope" to involvement.
Trade unions should cover the whole range of things that affect workers rather than running "single-issue" campaigns.
Another technique - "inoculation" against lies and crap from management - "The union will shut down the plant", etc - by telling the truth first. We worked out what dirt they would put out and put it out first, took the piss - "Trade union reps eat babies", etc. Then management put out lies and people just laugh - it works.
We were a weak, minority membership - we had to use every form of pressure. There's a culture within the unions of just going through the motions - established trade union people are very conservative. But we have got to rock the boat. We need "Troublemakers".

DISCUSSION

1 Kirklees Unison member Young, been in union 2 years, £18,000 in debt from student loans. Was a first-time Unison steward, but then subjected to extreme racism from manager who argued that BME group was "divisive" and "not needed" because of existence of "equality forms". This manager also referred to her "right" to use extreme racist language.
The member had attended Unison conference this year but had been appalled - the leadership had encouraged young members to come up and speak but had then cut them off. She had tried to speak on the need for democracy not bureaucracy but had been cut off half way through her speech.
Many activists argue that the problems facing workers are about race, but it's also class. Everyone is being pushed further and further down.

2 UNITE member Young woman working in a left-wing solicitors' office. Lots of veterans' stories! Young members had booked a coach to "Love music/Hate racism" and had argued politics on the coach. This changed things - we were no longer just listening to "the experts" but had all done something together.
Then the office cleaners decided they wanted to join a union, but didn't know which one - then the tanker drivers won their dispute, and they said "That's the union we want to be in - the one with the tanker drivers!"

3 UNITE member In union since 1979. Now working in voluntary sector. Used to work in bus garage. You win respect from members by what they see you do, not by what you say. Unions and industrial relations in Britain are at lower depth than ever before. Our own union doesn't respond to what members want - they see it as all about "managing the membership". The main point is, we respond to the members. Real democracy comes from the shop floor.

4 UNITE member General economic situation means expansion in for example call centres and retail - very low-paid, exploited workers. Trade unions have to recognise this. A key demand should be equal pay for equal work. There is high unemployment amongst young workers. The tanker drivers' and Grangemouth disputes showed the power workers can have.

5 CWU member It had taken 6 months for him to join the union - they don't want young people.

6 ILWU member (US docks) Where she works (on ferries) is becoming increasingly a service industry with the emphasis on the "customer" in serving drinks etc. Most workers are young people. They had formed a "Young Workers United" workers' centre in San Francisco. The closed shop in the industry makes organising easier.

7 Robbie Segal, standing as USDAW General Secretary "Partnership" neuters a trade union - you work with one hand behind your back. You have to struggle within the workplace rather than being able to take members out. Young people ask "What's the point?" of being in the union. But members furious when union notices she put up were torn down. Her branch had nominated her for Gen Sec.
We need to build a framework to take the union forward. Retail carries a lot of weight - we fill people's bellies.

8 Fran H, PCS, paid testament to the PCS leadership with its structures for young workers. The union had carried out 24 days of action in three years. At her JobCentre in Newcastle people were joining the union in droves - membership density increasing all the time. But management victimisation could mean reps lose confidence - you have to give people hope. One office had sacked a trade union rep while simultaneously allowing a BNPer to stand in an election.
There is a similarity in the issues we face, and for this reason she supported the Campaign for a New Working-Class Party.

9 Cathy, BECTU asked for suggestions to help her involve young workers at BBC Radio One, her workplace, in the union. The idea of unity was foreign to them and they were very competitive. She had been unable to get them to meetings either inside or outside the workplace.

This request structured the rest of the discussion, as follows:-

10 Sarah F, Unison Camden gave the example of how she and other Unison activists in her workplace had successfully won fellow-workers a staff room - previously they had had nowhere to eat, change etc. This victory had given the union a lot of credibility, and after it they had realised they now had a "union room" where they could discuss issues without management listening in (something which had previously strongly deterred workers from talking about the union).

11 Kim M, UCU gave an example from the car industry in the US, in which new workers with no previous union experience were coming in to plants where the existing workforce was retiring. The strongly pro-union older workers set up a "mentoring" system whereby young workers could discuss and learn about the union on a one-to-one basis.

12 Fran H argued that we should "sell our successes". Basic stuff, not even necessarily what we agree with but what the members want. Importance of interaction between activists and members on a one-to-one basis.

13 Kirklees Unison member spoke about the care workers' strike last year. At first workers had been afraid to be seen with union reps. People don't realise that they have rights, that they can go to a union meeting and not be sacked. We have to recognise these fears, inform people and help them fight through it.

CWU member recommended Facebook for young activists. Young workers could be drawn in around issues which affected older workers, such as pensions - if mistakes are made now, they will affect young people later, so you get them on board now.

Unite member had been an organiser for T&G/Unite in low-cost airlines. Small issues were used which were characterised as "deeply felt", "widely felt" and "winnable". You use them to get a win, then move on.

SUMMING UP

This mostly centred on the issues raised by the BECTU member, which had very usefully focussed the discussion.

Mark C asked why these young workers were competing with each other? What were the issues? Focusing on those issues could be the way forward.

Pat C urged reps to keep going in these situations - small issues like "dress codes" (eg being told you can't wear jeans to work in a call centre) can unite people - relatively easy to win.

Rob W agreed with the point about "mentoring" and said his early contacts with experienced trade unionists had been very important.

Ian A Building a network is key - widening the pool of people whose brains we can pick. Standard trade union recruitment is like selling double-glazing - real organising is "What are you angry about?"

Chair's Note The workshop became most interesting and useful once the concrete issue of organising in a resistant workplace was raised. Perhaps this indicates that future workshops could be run around more specific, concrete questions. Thanks to our BECTU activist!