Arena Magazine 2005 Issue 5

Spotlight days raise awareness

Union members and activists made the most of the third spotlight day for the Supporting Parents and Carers campaign in September.

Workplace and shopping centre activities were organised by reps and officials across the UK which won widespread backing from the membership and shopping public.

The final spotlight day was on working parents and built on the previous two spotlight days on carers, in June, and on maternity rights, in March.

General secretary John Hannett sees the union's campaigning activities as an essential part of Usdaw's work. "This Supporting Parents and Carers campaign has made its mark with many Labour MPs giving us their support," he said. "Standing up for working parents and carers is an important part of Usdaw."

Children of retail workers from across the UK lobbied Bev Hughes, minister for children, to extend the right to request flexible working for their parents. The junior lobbyists and their working parents met Bev Hughes MP in Manchester as part of the Spotlight on Parents Day in September.

A survey carried out by Usdaw revealed more than half of Britain's 2.5 million shopworkers struggle to fit childcare around their working hours with more pressure during school holidays.

The survey also revealed that everyday childcare problems including school closures, family illness, sudden breakdowns in care arrangements and school start and finish times heap yet more pressure on working parents.

"Our members tell me that childcare and working hours, particularly during school holidays, cause them real day-to-day problems," says Usdaw general secretary John Hannett. "All our members are asking for is the Government to help ease that pressure by extending the legal right to request flexible working to all parents of school age children."

"Staff are not asking for the earth but a little bit of common sense that will make sure they don't have to leave their jobs if they can't balance their work and parental commitments."

The minister was impressed by the children's comments and pledged to listen to their concerns. "I was really taken with Usdaw's case, which will be a valuable contribution to the Government's review of flexible working," said Beverley Hughes.

"Children are at the heart of our political agenda. The introduction of measures like tax credits and the extension of childcare provision have directly benefited low-paid workers. We want to do more to help and I welcomed the opportunity to talk to working Usdaw members and their children as part of the consultation process."

Usdaw remain the only major trade union who put increasing basic rights for parents on the table for every wage negotiation with major retail employers. "We've also discovered that not having paid time off for family illnesses is a real pressure point and all too often workers are forced to take annual leave or lose pay to care for their children," said John Hannett. "We want the Government and employers to consider paid leave to help working parents overcome these difficulties. This is an issue about fairness and relieving pressure on working parents."

Survey says:

They include:

• Unexpected problems like children's, relatives', or child-minder's illness.

• School closure because of teacher-training days, elections, or heating breakdown.

• Lack of flexible working options during term-time, holidays and bank holidays.

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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