Bulletin of Socialist Party members in

the Activist
'partnership' policy - resulting in pay that was little more than the minimum wage, and the worsening of conditions.

Issue 39 Robbie Segal

Obituary: Robbie Segal

Robbie Segal, a longstanding comrade in the Socialist Party and a leading activist in Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers), has died of a terminal neurological disorder. She understood the route the 'partnership' agreement between Robbie joined her first trade union Tesco and Usdaw was heading in at 19 and was soon involved in and resigned from the national industrial action against Express store forum in protest. Newspapers. Her warnings that this policy would Over the next four decades, she result in attacks against the betterwould be found at the forefront of paid workers in distribution have workers' battles and on the streets unfortunately been proved correct. arguing for solidarity and raising finance, whether it was defending Respected the socialist Liverpool councillors, mineworkers and their wives, or For a number of years, Robbie was Activist, the bulletin of Socialist Party members working in Usdaw. the P&O seafarers' strike. a solid voice of opposition and she Robbie wrote regularly for the was both vilified by the right wing Similarly, she played a leading role and respected by the left for her Socialist paper on Usdaw matters. in the struggle against Thatcher's uncompromising stand. At the union's annual conference, Poll Tax. She was expelled from the Labour Party for her socialist She was not only a fighter but also Robbie would be round the hall selling the Socialist, chatting to the beliefs. Usdaw left's most approachable delegates and by the end of the figurehead. Branded an 'extremist' For 25 years, Robbie worked in by Usdaw's right wing; however, day she would have sold over 100 Tesco and was a shop steward for hundreds of activists turned to her copies. 24 of those years. She understood for advice and support. She would always linger a moment how essential it is to build a solid base and that gave her a platform Robbie's major challenge was her longer to give a word of for election to Usdaw's divisional struggle to democratise Usdaw and encouragement to the younger council and eventually the win the union back for its delegates and discuss the agenda. Executive Council (EC) - serving members. She understood the In 2008, Robbie stood against the four three-year terms. urgent need to educate a newer incumbent for the post of Usdaw layer of activists on a programme general secretary. With very few As a member and as an EC of action. resources and no method of member, Robbie recognised the power of the union was slipping Robb ie considered it near contacting the branches, she stood away from its members to a impossible to promote a militant on a socialist programme with the theme of returning the union back handful of bureaucrats. alternative while the current to its members. Her stand won her leadership had a stranglehold on She campaigned against the the union, so she helped establish over 18,000 votes, over 40% of d a n g e r o f U s d a w l e a d e r s and regularly contributed to the the total vote. embracing New Labour's
Find out more: usdawactivist.wordpress.com / usdawactivist@gmail.com / Facebook: Usdaw Activist

Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW

Robbie warned: 'the bosses are intent on the working people of this country paying for their mess' and she concluded: 'only a socialist society offers a solution to the blight we face at present'. her life was dedicated to that aim. She was always there to give advice and a smile, and she will be sadly missed.

We send our condolences to Eric, her husband and fellow Socialist Robbie understood that only a Party activist, their three children, change in society would solve the Johanna, Polly and Miriam, and problems of working people and grandchildren.

Tribute from Bill Mullins:

I knew Robbie for many years when I was the industrial organiser for the Socialist Party. She was indeed a stalwart for the workers of Tesco in particular and the right wing in her union - Usdaw - knew this and hated her for it. When at one stage Robbie was standing for the union's executive council the leadership put two full time officials to sit in a car outside her home to monitor her comings and goings. This was a blatant attempt at intimidation against a woman member of the union who fought for her members and stood up to the bureaucracy. On another occasion, when the left, led by Robbie, decided to put up a candidate in the union's presidential election, the Socialist Party hosted a fringe meeting at the TUC conference around 2003/2004.
Robbie speaking at the 2009 National Shop Stewards Network Conference

It gave me a glimpse of what it may have been like for Robbie The candidate and Robbie were on when she attempted to speak at the platform and I chaired the well- the executive councils of the union. attended meeting of delegates and visitors to the conference. She would be shouted at by the bureaucracy whenever she You can imagine our surprise when attempted to raise alternative ideas the right wing incumbent president to the right wing's sell-out of the members' interests. and her entourage of full time officials turned up at the meeting. Usdaw was well on the road to becoming what the American Before the platform speakers had workers called a "yellow union". an opportunity to speak the right wingers started heckling from the Robbie played a leading role in trying to stop that process. back.

Remember Robbie by Joining her Fight - Support the Activist!

Its sad to see great fighters for workers pass, but the battles they fought do not end there. The employers do not let up their assault on our pay and conditions, neither do the right-wing of our union in allowing them to get away with it. Robbie was not just against these attacks because they were vicious and wrong, but also because she was a socialist who had an alternative to the misery of capitalist, one based on meeting the needs of ordinary people instead of sacrificing everything to boost profits. Robbies fight has inspired many activists in Usdaw and over the last year more have supported the Activist allowing us to produce this bulletin more regularly. But we still need reports of the real effects of partnership in your workplace, of how workers are trying to organise to re-claim our union. We appeal to readers of the Activist to help write for and produce this bulletin, to send e-mail addresses of interested co-workers to usdawactivist@gmail.com and to join the Socialist Party. Together, we can finish what Robbie started and build a fighting trade union for retail and distribution workers, as a step towards a socialist world.

Still available for 2 from Socialist Books

(020 8988 8777 ) bookshop@socialistparty.org.uk

Find out more: usdawactivist.wordpress.com / usdawactivist@gmail.com / Facebook: Usdaw Activist