Speaking to the annual Durham Cathedral Miners’ Service, Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary said: “Friends, it is a true honour to be asked to address this service. I am very grateful to the Dean, Andrew Tremlett, for allowing me to speak today and to the Bishop for welcoming me here. This is such a special event for our movement, steeped in history and tradition and it is wonderful to be back together.
 
“The last time this service took place, in 2019, none of us had any idea what lay in store in the years ahead. We had no idea that the world would change, that things we once took for granted would be snatched away, that so many lives would be turned upside down.
 
“We have been through truly dark times, as the Covid pandemic tore through our communities, we lost loved ones, friends and colleagues, millions of people were filled with fear for their health, for their families' health, for their livelihoods.
 
“But in these dark times, a beacon of hope shone through, the workers who kept the country going. In our hospitals and in our care homes, they held our NHS together. They held the hands of the dying and somehow, they held themselves together, day after day, night after night, in the toughest conditions you can imagine.
 
“There were millions of others, whose jobs so often go unnoticed, emptying our bins, stacking our supermarket shelves, delivering our parcels, keeping our lights on, keeping our trains and buses moving, keeping us connected with one another, supporting grieving families, supporting children to learn from home; supporting vulnerable people in all of our communities, whenever and however they could.
 
“It was truly remarkable to see the sacrifices made, the dedication and the sheer graft, from people in all walks of life; many of them low paid women, and black workers, all too often facing inequality and injustice in their working lives. 
 
“My union represents retail and distribution workers. I have always been so proud to represent these essential workers, long before the pandemic. I've been immensely proud to represent them throughout the pandemic and I will always be proud to represent them.
 
“During the pandemic, our members were finally recognised for the vital contribution they make. Sadly, like other public facing workers, they faced an increase in violence and abuse at work, but we must not forget how the pandemic brought out the good in people too.
 
“Rainbows in windows, claps on doorsteps, a smile and a kind word from behind a Perspex screen, a neighbour dropping off a meal after a long shift. All of this meant so much, to so many and we must not let that solidarity fade away.
 
“Pandemic or no pandemic, we must always value the contribution that key workers make and the sense of unity that we felt during lockdown – we feel it here, today. Looking at a sea of banners and under those banners workers from every sector gathered together, just as generations of miners gathered here before. Celebrating working class communities, sharing their stories and gaining strength from one another.
 
“Each and every key worker deserves our gratitude, but I also want to pay a special tribute to those key workers who are union reps. They find the time and the strength to not just do their own job, but support their colleagues too, keeping their workplaces safe, standing up for what's right, and guiding workers through the toughest times of their lives. They help the people who help us all and I thank every one of them for all that that they do.
 
“Sisters and brothers, I am humbled to stand before you and thank our key workers. No words can ever express our gratitude, but we can show our gratitude through our actions. Through striving, every single day, to build a society that is just, equal and fair for all.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 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.
 
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