Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “A cost of living crisis looms for our members, many already struggling to make ends meet, with food and fuel prices rising, energy bills soaring and real wages falling. Added to that the Government is imposing a National Insurance increase that will hit the lowest paid and is a tax on jobs. Labour was right to oppose this tax hike, it is the wrong policy at the wrong time.
 
“The increase is also bad for business. The retail industry has been severely impacted by Covid-19, but it was in crisis before the pandemic. While we desperately need a retail recovery plan from the Government, we also need them to be sensitive to the impact of their fiscal policy on business. After nearly two years of lockdowns and restrictions, many struggling retailers can ill afford a rise in their overheads.
 
“We hope the Government is listening to the growing calls from business, trade unions and MPs across the House of Commons for the National Insurance increase to be scrapped. This Government tax rise in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis is bad for workers, businesses, consumers and families.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion