The plaque will mark number 42 Woodstock Road, a semi-detached house in Golders Green that was Mary’s home at the height of her reputation and where she died on New Year’s Day 1921.
 
Mary Macarthur rebelled against her family’s Conservative political outlook. In 1901 she attended a meeting of the shop assistants union (NAUSAW&C), a founding union of Usdaw. She intended to write a scathing article for the Tory press, but instead was overwhelmed by the plight of shop assistants and was immediately converted. Mary became Chair of Ayr branch and in 1903 was elected to the union’s National Executive. She left to form the National Federation of Women Workers, becoming its General Secretary.
 
John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says: “No other woman in the history of women’s trade unionism made such a significant contribution. Her early death in 1921 was a great loss.
 
“Many people have often predicted the end of trade unions. In fact some people would be only too happy to see the end of unions. However, last year we celebrated our 125^th anniversary, so it is clear Usdaw is here to stay.
 
“Our forebears, like Mary, laid the foundations that have been strengthened, built on and expanded by generations of trade union members whose main aim has always been to protect and improve the working conditions of its members. That work continues today with the fantastic dedication of our reps and staff.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fourth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 440,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 17% in the last five years and by nearly a third in the last decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the Union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit:http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion