- Support the struggling retail sector with an industrial strategy.
- Help low paid workers, typically on insecure contracts.
- Immediately halt the roll-out of Universal Credit.
- Fund the skills training workers need to deal with the challenges of automation.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary says: “Usdaw wants a thriving retail sector that provides well-paid secure employment for our members and we are challenging the Chancellor to deliver policies to achieve that.
“In cities, towns and local communities we’ve seen retail businesses close, shops boarded up and restructuring at every level. What we haven’t seen so far is any real action from the Government, any clear or coherent strategy for the retail sector or any sense that they care about the worries and concerns of shopworkers.
“Retail is at a turning point. Employers and the Government need to end their short-termism that results in cuts, low pay and insecure work. We need a long-term strategy that delivers decent pay, secure jobs and changes attitudes towards retail work; giving shopworkers the respect they deserve.
“Respecting shopworkers means good pay of at least £10 per hour, a proper contract that reflects the normal hours worked and enough hours every week to make a living.
“Also the Chancellor must ensure that workers’ incomes are not undermined when they are transferred on to Universal Credit. Even the Secretary of State has had to admit that ‘some people will be worse off’ and it has been reported that ‘she had told Cabinet colleagues that some claimants would lose out to the tune of GBP200 a month’.
“Despite the number of organisations raising serious issues about the design and impact of Universal Credit the Government has so far neglected to address these concerns. Usdaw is calling for the rollout of Universal Credit to be stopped and for a fundamental rethink of the policy.
“Automation is an ever increasing concern for many workers, who face seeing their jobs potentially under threat from new technology. We need investment in skills training with enhanced funding directed at those industries most likely to be impacted.
“These are significant issues that our members face and need substantial interventions from the Government. We hope that the Chancellor is listening.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with around 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 28% over the 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