WHAT music it was to my ears to hear the people’s chancellor John McDonnell speak at a recent Institute of Employment Rights event where he said: “We need a system that would recognise the fundamental role that trade unions play in creating a fair, productive and sustainable economy.” 

Not the rhetoric of a politician who wants to get elected, but the passionate, long-held beliefs of a true socialist. For far too long the game has been rigged against us and it’s time for change.

I’m very proud that members of my union, the BFAWU, have been at the forefront of fighting for a real living wage and are raising the banner for economic justice. Very proud that our members in McDonald’s and JD Wetherspoon have been able to land punches on these corporate giants despite metaphorically having one hand tied behind their back, while the referee (the government) looks away as the punches of the bosses are repeatedly aimed below the belt, enabled by draconian British labour laws designed to protect only one side.

Despite the unequal and unfair nature of Britain’s anti-trade union laws, our members have managed to win above inflation pay rises for an estimated 160,000 workers – ironically the few fighting for the many. 

Pay is a fundamental issue when it comes to bringing workers together, especially when we have seen 10 years of wage stagnation amounting to wage cuts in the real world. And these members’ courageous fight has been testament to collectivity, togetherness, strong organisation and fortitude. 

Collective bargaining must be one of the main aims of any organising drive among unorganised workers, but the question of how we build the power to win collective agreements is also fundamental. 

Ten years of wage deflation has meant that many of the people we stand for struggle to stretch their salary to do the basics like pay the rent, heat their homes and feed and clothe themselves and their families. They struggle to live lives that in the not so distant past would have been taken for granted. 

The TUC has designated 2019 as the year of the young worker. A great, but some would say long overdue, initiative by the TUC that recognises that unless our movement recruits big numbers of young, energetic trade unionists, then we will find ourselves as a movement ever shrinking with less political power, dependent on the youngest of the older generation.

Our union has learnt some important lessons over the past four years, as we have attempted to organise fast-food workers, which I believe are worth sharing.

• Young so-called “precarious workers” can and will get organised, given the right support from our movement. We have developed and continue to develop new ways of organising by learning from the best experiences of the movement both at home and globally.

• Workers in these industries can win and have won by taking action collectively. Some impressive victories that striking workers have achieved include a pay rise of 6.7 per cent and movement on guaranteed hours at McDonald’s. The abolition of youth rates for 18 to 21-year-olds, a pound an hour extra for working night shifts as well as improvements around notification of shifts and defeating bullying and harassment by managers at JD Wetherspoon. All progressive relatively small changes but something to build upon.

• The likes of McDonald’s will do anything it can to stop workers getting their union: 

1. They have banned union members from stores they don’t work at.
2. They will do all in their power to stop the union getting on sites.
3. They have trained managers to spot the signs of a union and report it.
4. They monitor union activity and map members trying to get organised.
5. Managers are encouraged to tell workers lies, and attempt to cause conflict, competition and division among the workers (but despite all these obstacles, workers are still able to organise and win).

Our union is proud to be affiliated to the Labour Party and proud to have a front bench that listens to the needs and aspirations of our members and their families. But what we need now is a change in legislation, change that gives access to all workplaces to enable unions to put their case to workers and to explain that a union isn’t just something their grandad was in, but that it is an important, relevant organisation for change today. 

Forming a strong union is vital to young people’s prosperity, their ability to aspire to living at least as well as their parents, the only chance of earning enough to afford a decent home and the chance to raise a family of their own. But their ability to organise together is paramount to their success.

Why can’t we have access to workplaces like that enjoyed in New Zealand? Permitted access to workplaces will allow us to rapidly increase the number of conversations we have with workers every day. 

It will allow us to protect workers by having trained eyes spotting risks to health before they harm anyone. It will mean we can bring workers together in bigger numbers to collectively improve their situation. It will give workers someone to turn to for help when they have a problem or a crisis, should their employer offer no support, which I’m afraid is too often the case.

The Labour Party has an opportunity to introduce access legislation that will empower workers to change their lives forever, to come together, to stand up for their workmates, families and their communities. 

To turn these McJobs into good jobs will take a momentous effort by us all, but it is a challenge we shouldn’t shy away from. 

We all deserve a life of dignity and respect and by supporting the Labour Party to get elected we can take a massive step to help us get there. 

Ronnie Draper is general secretary of BFAWU and a proud Labour Party member.