The new partnership agreement was signed by Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, and Simon Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of Sainsbury’s. It defines the role of workplace reps, provides additional facilities to enable reps to carry out their duties, improves access to training and enhances problem-solving procedures.
 
Dave Gill – Usdaw National Officer says: “Usdaw has a longstanding relationship with Sainsbury’s and we welcome this opportunity to improve our recognition agreement with the business. Usdaw workplace reps are unpaid volunteers who do a brilliant job of providing our members with the advice, support and representation that they need.
 
“This new partnership agreement is full recognition from Usdaw and all of Sainsbury’s management of the important role our workplace reps have in helping the business to grow and prosper. We look forward to a good relationship with the company for many years to come, based on openness, honesty and constructive working, which the company are keen to promote.
 
“Usdaw this month launched a new blueprint for the future of retail work to ensure that shopworkers are valued and respected. That is best achieved through decent pay and secure contracts, fair treatment and equality, in safe and healthy working environments. Those issues will be the cornerstone of our future discussions with Sainsbury’s in our newly strengthened relationship.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 350,000 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 www.usdaw.org.uk
 
A plan for the future of retail work: Ensuring retail jobs are better jobs www.usdaw.org.uk/RetailPlan2023
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion