Interview: Usdaw’s new first female leader on wealth taxes, workplace AI and holding Labour’s feet to the fire

Usdaw’s general secretary-elect Joanne Thomas has called on the government to back a wealth tax and pledged to hold Labour’s feet to the fire in an exclusive interview with LabourList.

Speaking soon after the union’s annual delegate meeting in Blackpool, Joanne Thomas also praised the outgoing general secretary Paddy Lillis ahead of his retirement in July and said she feels “incredibly proud” of the union for choosing her to become the first woman to hold the position from this summer.

Thomas said: “Our priority is to represent our members, and we know in Usdaw that will be definitely more beneficial under a Labour government, but of course we are going to have to hold their feet to the fire on occasion.

“I think that is exactly what Labour should and would expect as well, because you have to be honest.”

‘The wealthiest should contribute more’

For Thomas, much like the current general secretary, the prize in having Labour return to government has been the Employment Rights Bill.

“I think that absolutely delivers for workers without a shadow of a doubt – and as a trade unionist, it’s something that we’ve coveted for a long time and had lots of conversations and campaigning around.

“But, of course, as a trade unionist, we always will look to help and support the most vulnerable in society.”

Thomas also joined calls by other union leaders for a wealth tax, describing such a move as “obvious”.

“I think that the wealthiest people or companies should be contributing towards a more equal society. It just seems so obvious to me.”

READ MORE: More voters say Labour doing bad job delivering missions than good

‘PM Farage would be devastating for country’

Local election losses for Labour have seen greater concern about the threat of Reform across the wider labour movement, and Thomas is no exception to this – describing them as a “party to be wary of”.

She said that having Nigel Farage as Prime Minister would be “devastating for the country” and said they are promising things that they won’t be able to deliver on.

“They’re writing out cheques they can’t cash. We’ve got to make sure in the trade union movement and the Labour Party that we dispel some of their myths and encourage people to look at their voting records and realise that what they’re trying to do is just be a populist party. I don’t believe that they’ll ever deliver for workers.”

‘Paddy’s been a fantastic advocate for working people’

Usdaw’s recent conference was the first since Labour took office – with Thomas describing the mood as “electric”, given it also marked Lillis’ final appearance as general secretary and first since she was selected as his successor. 

“I keep using the word ‘monumental’ because I do think that’s what Paddy’s leadership has meant to Usdaw and the union movement in general.

“I’ve worked with Paddy for 25 years in June, so he’s had a great influence on me – and I think he’s always been extremely pragmatic, not frightened to make the right decisions when sometimes they’re not popular, whether that be with politicians or employers. He’s been a fantastic advocate for working people, which exactly what I want to carry on doing.”

READ MORE: ‘No easy fix for country’s problems’: Starmer and Ellie Reeves’ message for members after local elections

Thomas also said she feels “privileged beyond words” to have been selected to become the union’s first female general secretary.

“It’s hard for me to put into words what it means because I think it’s such a significant moment for our union and the movement to have more female leavers coming into more senior roles. The fact that it’s myself, I feel extremely proud – not just of myself, but of Usdaw and the branches that have recognised the importance of this and voted to put their faith in me.”

‘I realised as a young mother politics does matter’

Thomas has been involved in Usdaw for many years, starting as a workplace rep for the Labour-affiliated union while working at the wholesaler Makro.

She said that becoming a mother at the age of 17 sparked her political journey, as she sought to negotiate better contracts and childcare.

“I was in a position where very quickly it mattered what my contract looked like, how much I was earning, what access I had for housing – which is actually a very political agenda.

“I realised at a very young age and as a young mother that actually politics does matter and, although at that point I wasn’t necessarily a political person, I became involved in Usdaw at a young age because I wanted to make the workplace better. You can’t do that unless you’ve got a political agenda that delivers for the workers – so the two came hand in hand for me, and then obviously that flows into what type of life you can have.”

READ MORE: Local elections: Reform took four times more Labour seats than other parties

So what will Thomas’ priorities be as general secretary when she takes office in July?

She said she is committed to continuing much of the work started by Lillis during his time in the role, but added: “I want to look much more closely at the impact AI is having on our membership. I want to have a look and make sure that we’ve got a really good, strong industrial agenda to make sure that workers and our members are part of this progression, and that’s really important to me.

“I also want to make sure that we absolutely utilise the part of the Employment Rights Bill that gives us access to unorganised workplaces. I think for too long we haven’t been organised enough in the private sector, and I really want to see an expansion programme where we’re representing more people, as well as focusing on the great agreements that we already have.

“I also want to get out into the regions and hear from our members, hear from our representatives, and make sure that everything we do is the things that matter to them – that will always be an absolute priority.”

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