John Williams, Unite Wales Youth Committee
You’d think that in Britain in 2024, the sixth-richest country on earth, basic workers’ rights such as having breaks after six hours of work and knowing your shifts weeks in advance would be a given. But, having worked in hospitality, the stories I hear never fail to amaze me.
Workers have their breaks in the cellar or store cupboard, stood up to eat their food just in case they have to immediately respond to change a barrel or take food out to customers. Not knowing whether to get loose wires fixed just in case the area manager shouts at them for wasting money and jeopardising profit targets.
You can be working a shift shortstaffed but bosses sell it as ‘one or two people down won’t make much of a difference’. It does! The system is rigged to make workers feel that we shouldn’t complain or risk getting hours of work. This is the reality for many workers on zero-hour or other precarious contracts.
The simple truth is not enough hospitality workers know their rights or are organised in trade unions that will fight for those rights to be enforced.
The Tories have kicked the can down the road regarding new ‘fair tips’ legislation meant to come into force in July. Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, which organises hospitality workers, has rightly criticised leaks of Labour’s draft ‘new deal for workers’ for going back on promises to scrap zero-hour contracts and other pro-worker policies.
Of course we are in favour of flexible working, but only if controlled by the workers ourselves. I’m fighting to help organise workers into the union in my workplace and industry. But we need political representation too.
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) supporters and Socialist Party members in Cardiff have backed me as a candidate in the general election this year. We’ll be putting forward pro-worker policies including an end to zero-hour contracts, a minimum wage of £15 an hour with no exemptions as a step towards wages we can live on, and scrapping all anti-union laws.
Young Socialists fights for the working class to run society so we can outlaw all exploitive conditions. Young people, including hospitality workers, can be inspired to fight and vote for something that will actually bring meaningful socialist change.
A young worker on a zero-hour contract speaks out:
One thing that most workers look for when applying for jobs is consistency and job security. This is something that most young workers, especially those who also study, and many older workers, can only dream about. Insecurity and inconsistency in work for young people comes from two main sources: zero-hour contracts and the lack of fighting trade unions in the private sector.
I write from experience, having worked zero-hour contracts in both call centres and hospitality while studying at university. Sadly, I am far from the only young person that is, or has been, in this position. Hundreds of thousands of workers are anxiously waiting for next week’s or next month’s rota to be released, nervous to find out if the hours their boss will offer them will allow them to make ends meet in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
Thought of talking about trade unions with other young workers? Make sure the boss doesn’t hear! Whilst you have a legal right to join a trade union, what is going to stop the bosses from reducing the hours of those ‘troublemaking’ workers who would dare to fight for better conditions?
Whilst I may have painted a bleak picture, there is hope. Young workers and those on zero-hour contracts can still organise and win, as seen by some of the struggles by Unite, the bakers’ union and other unions. However, organising in the workplace is not alone sufficient to win change, political struggle is also needed. The Socialist Party demands the abolition of zero-hour contracts, and good jobs with pay we can live on for young people and all other workers. Organised and fighting, together we can change the workplace and the world around us.
Young Socialists says:
- A £15-an-hour minimum wage for all, without exemptions. For the minimum wage to automatically increase linked to average earnings or inflation, whichever is higher
- An end to insecure working, for the right to full-time work for all who want it; ban zero-hour contracts. The right to flexible working, under the control of workers not employers. Share out the work – a maximum 32-hour working week with no loss of pay or worsening of conditions
- All workers to have trade union rates of pay, employment protection, and sickness, parental and holiday rights from day one of employment. End bosses using bogus ‘self-employment’ as a means to avoid giving workers rights
- For all wage rates to be automatically increased at least in line with price rises
- Open the books of all companies cutting jobs or claiming they can’t afford to pay a real living wage. State subsidies, where genuinely needed, for socially useful small businesses
- For democratic, fighting trade unions and all trade union officials to be regularly elected, subject to recall by their members and paid a worker’s wage
- Repeal all the anti-trade union laws
- For a new mass workers’ party, based on the trade unions, and drawing together workers, young people and activists from workplaces, and community, environmental, anti-racist and anti-cuts campaigns, to provide a fighting, socialist political alternative to the pro-big business parties
- A democratic socialist plan of production based on the interests of the overwhelming majority of people, and in a way that safeguards the environment
Young Socialists 