Forthcoming events

Every Saturday - Noon - 2pm - Bedford Square, Exeter - Socialist Party stall - Campaigning and there for discussion. We also have a range of literature ranging from this weeks 'The Socialist' to this month's 'Socialism Today', as well as books on Marxism, history, science, and international issues.

Every Tuesday - 7.30pm - Exeter branch meeting - email us for venue details - Organisational matters and planning ahead as well as discussion and debate.

Monday 19th January - Friday 13th February - USDAW Presidential election - Socialist Party member Robbie Segal is standing, and campaigning for a campaigning, democratic union. See www.robbiesegal.org for more details.

Tuesday 10th February - 7.00pm - North Devon Socialist Party branch meeting - G2 room, Barnstaple Library - Discussion of organisational issues, and debate on Darwin and evolution, introduced by JL.

Wednesday 11th February - 7.00pm - Fight For Jobs public meeting - Exeter Community Centre, St Davids Hill, Exeter - Called by Devon Socialist Party and Exeter Socialist Students, this meeting will be a chance to discuss the current economic crisis and how workers and youth can organise to protect jobs and living standards.

A more extensive calendar of events over 2009 will follow at the bottom of the page.

Thursday 22 January 2009

Exeter retail workers back Robbie Segal for USDAW President

On Thursday the 15th, Exeter Socialist Students took to the high street, not to take advantage of the recession bargains, but to campaign on behalf of Robbie Segal, Socialist Party activist and USDAW presidential candidate. Robbie’s campaign follows her recent bid for general secretary of the union, where she won 40% of the vote, despite a fierce counter-campaign led by the union’s pro-New Labour right wing.

Her latest campaign for president carries with it the task of reclaiming the retail worker’s union and making a genuine stand for their wages and conditions, increasingly under threat as the recession bites. Supermarket workers in particular have long been unrepresented, as union bureaucrats back non-strike agreements, and managers try to keep any dispute ‘in house’. The recent collapse of Woolworth’s is testament to the need for a militant leadership that can stem the tide of redundancies among vulnerable young workers, already on the pitiful youth rate, and their seigniors who are often supplementing family income in the face of savage living expenses.

Mixed responses were received from members of staff. Generally, younger workers were impressed to hear that a fighting alternative existed, but as expected many knew very little about trade unionism. This illustrates the impact that ‘casual labour’ has had on the spirit of young workers, who are now most at risk of loosing their jobs. What was also striking was the genuine fear among staff in certain workplaces, where unionizing clearly had tight restrictions. This was the case in both Boots and M&S. On the whole however, our patient and open approach was well received by shop floor staff, and impressed the few shop stewards available for discussion.

Exeter Socialist Students is presently building for a public meeting on the topic of unemployment. This is linked to the recently launched Youth Fight For Jobs campaign, which is now taking priority.

Report by RE, Exeter Socialist Party and Socialist Students

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