Nick Ireland - Usdaw Divisional Officer says: “Today every candidate was given the opportunity to pitch for the union’s nomination and all three proved to be of a very high calibre. We are confident that whoever the successful candidate is at the end of this process will be an excellent leader and First Minister, however Mark Drakeford won the day with our lay activists and we are delighted to give him our support.
 
“Wales faces some challenging issues, not least because of the uncertainties of Brexit and eight years of Tory austerity. We know that Mark Drakeford will work with the trade unions to deliver for our members and improve Welsh workers lives.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 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