Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “On International Workers’ Day we celebrate workers’ contribution to society, reflect on the achievements of the labour and trade union movement and look to future challenges and campaigns.
“Millions of low-paid workers provided essential services to help ensure the country is fed, healthy and safe through the pandemic. Usdaw members employed in supermarkets across the food and pharmaceutical supply chains and the funeral industry welcomed the key worker status, but that appears to have been forgotten as many are still struggling in low-paid insecure employment while having to cope with a cost of living crisis.
“There needs to be lasting and fundamental change to the way society views workers. We need a New Deal for Workers: a significant minimum wage increase, an end to insecure employment, respect for shopworkers and action to ensure that retail jobs are no longer underpaid and undervalued. Going to work should mean a decent standard of living for all workers.”
Usdaw’s New Deal for Workers calls for:
- A significant increase in the minimum wage for all workers and an end to rip-off youth rates.
- Minimum contract of 16 hours per week, for everyone who wants it, that reflects normal hours worked and a ban on zero-hour contracts.
- Better sick pay for all workers, from day one, at average earnings.
- Protection at work – respect for shopworkers, abuse is not a part of the job.
- A proper social security system, Universal Credit does not provide a safety net.
- Job security, with day one employment rights for unfair dismissal and redundancy.
- Fair treatment and equality for all workers, including equal pay.
- A voice at work, stop rogue employers refusing to engage with trade unions and end ‘fire and rehire’.
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.
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
@UsdawUnion