Coming to a workplace near you

Now in its third year the Usdaw Academy is taking energetic reps out of their workplaces and giving them a six months secondment of training, and hands-on experience of recruitment and organising in shops and factories across the UK. Arena caught up with two organising officers from this year’s intake and found out they are making a real impact just weeks into their new venture.

Catering assistant turned organising officer Sandra Cooper is enjoying getting stuck in to the demanding schedule facing the Academy team.

The 39 year-old from Tesco in Chester has four years’ experience as an activist and found making the step up a big challenge. “I’ve covered a lot of ground during my first few weeks, mainly across North Wales,” she said.

“There are horror stories out there but that’s why the Academy is so important. We’re here to get things started or rejuvenate a workplace. “Some places may already have a rep and a decent level of membership but little recruitment or organising activity takes place.

“The Safeway store in Colwyn Bay, is a classic example, although unionised, there hadn’t been a rep in place for nine months. A visit from recruitment and development officer Paul Taylor and myself paid dividends. We set up a couple of union awareness days which were very successful and we recruited a rep and new members.”

Trading places

Tracey Low has swapped the benefits of the Usdaw/Tesco partnership deal to visit places where staff don’t know their basic employment rights.

“It’s been a real culture shock, but I’m enjoying every minute of the Academy,” said the 40 year-old general assistant.

“I’ve had a lot of success though. At Woolworths in Sudbury there was only one member in the store. There were concerns over a pay freeze so I used this situation to my advantage and managed to recruit half the staff. We also sorted out a shop steward for the store. It helped that I built up a good rapport with the manager and we were given space on the notice-board and facilities to recruit.

“I’ve come across all kinds of different situations. I’ve been to places in the back of beyond where they didn’t even know what a trade union was. In others membership was very low and they hadn’t seen anyone from the union for a long time.

“I also visited hazardous premises with dangerous working conditions and obvious health and safety issues, just crying out for a health and safety rep.

“Some staff are not aware that they have rights at work, let alone that they can even join a trade union.”

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