Socialist Party Wales Socialism In Wales
By John Williams, Unite Wales Young Members’ Committee (personal capacity)
Young workers and trade unionists joined a lively protest outside Starbucks in Cardiff.
Members of Unite the Union and the Bakers Union and supporters have mobilised in over 50 cities and towns to protest in solidarity with strikers in the USA who are striking against low pay and poor working conditions in Starbucks.
More than 250 stores have won union rights so far. John Williams from Unite Wales Young Members’ Committee, said, “Precarious workers all over the world need trade unions. Young people need to join trade unions and help organise in their workplace to fight back against the cost of living crisis and exploitative employers.”
On the 17th November, members of Starbucks Workers United in the USA struck across 100 Starbucks to coincide with the companies ‘Red Cup Day’. Following conversations between Unite The Union, IUF, Workers United and BFAWU, solidarity actions, focussing on workers in the four target employers: Costa, Starbucks, Café Nero and Pret a Manger took place in over 50 cities and towns in the UK.
Youth Fight For Jobs, Socialist Students and the Socialist Party sent solidarity to the international day of action and called for support for any action precarious workers want to take to unionise hospitality. These unions have launched the #baristasunited campaign to drive up pay and conditions in the hospitality sector.
In Cardiff, around 20 campaigners turned up to support the event and help leaflet Starbucks and coffee stores nearby. Because its not just a situation facing American workers, but in this country as well. This industry is the most under-paid sector in the British economy, and the most under-unionised.
Many young and precarious workers are seeing the actions taken by the CWU and RMT, and barista workers are seeing that and saying: ‘Why can’t I unionise and get better working rights?’ According to CNN, around 2,000 Starbucks workers are on strike across the USA. One of them told the American news source: “This is to show them we’re not playing around. We’re done with the their anti-union retaliation and them walking away from bargaining.
