Labour Party Conference has adopted a policy pioneered by the SSP!
Hot on the heels of the TUC congress unanimously adopting the
pioneering new policy of a guaranteed minimum
16-hour working week - instead of the abomination of zero and short-hours
contracts - so too has the Labour Party conference, in a composite Motion on
In-Work Poverty, moved by my union Usdaw, seconded by the GMB.
If acted upon, this could be
a lifeline to millions of workers subjected to insecure, low-paid jobs,
dependency on foodbanks, and mounting mental ill-health.
So it's immensely welcome that the Corbyn-led Labour conference has overwhelmingly agreed a policy pioneered and spearheaded by socialists OUTSIDE Labour - specifically, the SSP!!
To avoid any confusion,
here's the timeline:
- in my book, Break the Chains, published in December 2015, I first proposed this new idea of a guaranteed minimum week for all workers who want it; 16 hours, to match criteria for Working Tax Credit, Statutory Sick Pay, and employers' NIC contributions.
- in my book, Break the Chains, published in December 2015, I first proposed this new idea of a guaranteed minimum week for all workers who want it; 16 hours, to match criteria for Working Tax Credit, Statutory Sick Pay, and employers' NIC contributions.
- in 2016, this was unanimously agreed as SSP policy, and then
fought for on the streets and in our unions.
- in April 2018, I proposed this policy on behalf of Glasgow no 1
Usdaw branch at Usdaw national conference (ADM), winning unanimous support from
nearly 1,000 delegates.
- as a newly elected Usdaw Executive Council member, I combined with others to argue for rapid
implementation of the 16-hour policy, in tandem with the 4-year-old policy of a
£10 minimum wage (NOT seriously acted upon up until now!).
That included pushing for it to be advanced by Usdaw as policy at the TUC,
Labour conferences... and likewise in other parties.
HISTORIC VINDICATION!
I can't resist a wry smile at this brilliant news, especially as it comes from Labour's Liverpool-held conference.
Back in 1986, I and eight other socialist leaders in Liverpool were expelled
from the Labour party by the insufferable windbag, Neil Kinnock - for the crime
of being far too successful at mobilising the Merseyside working class,
defeating Maggie Thatcher's Tory government, winning massive concessions in
government funding to build council houses and create thousands of jobs. And
winning record votes for socialists in Liverpool elections, whilst Kinnock
displayed an unrivalled ability to lose elections and leave the Tories in
office to assault the working class.
I remember saying at the time that they might succeed in
expelling socialists from the Labour party, but they couldn't expel us from the
wider labour movement or the working class. It's taken a while, but it's quite
gratifying to see that prediction proven.
And it's a perfect 20th birthday present for the SSP;
courageous, principled socialists organised OUTSIDE Labour have been
instrumental in committing Labour to a policy that could transform many
workers' lives - in a fashion Scottish Labour's 'left' never managed to do.
We now look forward to uniting in action with fellow-trade
unionists, both inside and outwith Labour, to force through the implementation
of this far-reaching policy, to give workers a bit of security and control over
their working lives.
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