Usdaw’s ‘Save Our Shops’ campaign promotes our industrial strategy for retail, which proposes detailed and evidence led policies, centred on three key areas:
- Economy and community - changing the economic framework on everything from car parking to rates, rents and reforming the tax system to create a level playing field between online and ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers.
- People and productivity - improving productivity by addressing low pay and insecure work, while giving staff a say in the future of the business they work for and on the introduction of new technology.
- Retail jobs are proper jobs - challenging perceptions about retail work and promoting the idea that retail jobs are ‘proper jobs’. Seeking a greater focus from Government on the retail industry and ensuring shopworkers are valued.
Usdaw’s industrial strategy for retail: www.usdaw.org.uk/retailstrategy
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Our high streets are in crisis, with shops closing, retailers folding and businesses engaging in significant restructuring to survive. That impacts communities, shoppers and staff, so Usdaw activists are on the streets engaging the public in the ‘Save our Shops’ campaign.
“The retail industry is experiencing turbulent and challenging times. Employing around 3 million people and contributing 11% of UK economic output, it is clear that the retail crisis has a huge knock on effect, impacting the UK economy and a significant number of workers.
“We need the Government to adopt a clear and coherent strategy for retail, to address the worries and concerns of shopworkers and our members. We hope Usdaw’s retail strategy will be a catalyst for a combined and concerted effort to tackle the growing retail crisis and save our shops.”
'Save our Shops' events: On Saturday 2 March Usdaw activists will be on high streets in the following locations:
East of England: Ipswich: from 9am
East Midlands: Ashfield: 11am - 3pm
Buxton: High Street, from 10am
London: Enfield: Town centre, 11am - 3pm
Putney: 10am - 3pm
Walthamstow, from 9am
North East: Stockton: High Street, 10am - 2pm
Northern Ireland: Belfast: Outside City Hall, 11am – 3pm
North West: Altrincham: 11am – 3pm
Cleveleys: 11am - 3pm
Liverpool: City Centre, 11am – 3pm
Northwich: 11am - 3pm
Scotland: Aberdeen: Outside M&S, 10am - 2pm
Dumfries: Planestanes, 10am – 2pm
Edinburgh: Bruntsfield Place, from 10am
Glasgow: Parkhead Forge (Duke Street Entrance, from 11am
South East: Canterbury: 10am - 3pm
Reading: 10am - 3pm
South West: Gloucester: City Centre 11am – 3pm
Plymouth: Transit Way Retail Park, from 10am
Staple Hill, Gloucestershire: 11am – 2pm
Wales: Cardiff: Whitchurch High Street: 11am - 3pm
Yorkshire: Bradford: Kirkgate Shopping Centre: 9am – 5pm
Morley: High Street, 10am - 2pm
Wakefield: Town Centre, 9am – 5pm
In March Usdaw also campaigned in the following town centres: Andover, Bradley Stoke, Croydon, Kirkcaldy, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Woking.
‘Save our shops’ campaign petition to the Government.
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 410,000 members. Membership has increased by more than one-third over the last couple of decades. 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