Arena Magazine 2005 Issue 6 November December

Minister's pledge on holidays

Union activists from across the UK descended on the national training centre at Warrington, Cheshire, for the retail trades conference - a two day event of top speakers, videos, workshops, discussion and debates.

It is the second biggest event in the union's calendar and this year attracted speakers from the Government and the TUC.

Arena was there too.

The Government is committed to increasing the legal minimum amount of holidays from 20 to 28, trade and industry minister Gerry Sutcliffe told retail staff at the union's second biggest annual conference.

Currently workers are legally entitled to a minimum of 20 days under legislation included in the working time directive, but this could include the eight bank holidays. Under the agreement reached between the unions and the Labour Party at Warwick earlier this year employers would not be allowed to include the bank holidays as part of the minimum entitlement.

"Usdaw has been at the forefront of the campaign to make sure the extra days holiday were paid," said general secretary John Hannett. "I'm delighted that the Government wants to make sure millions of retail workers will be properly rewarded for working days when most others are on leave with their families.

"It is very important to our members and to millions of hard-working staff in retail and the service sector that they receive paid time off for bank holidays.

"At Warwick, we all understood that workers would be entitled to extra paid time off because most cannot afford to take unpaid time off. But the Labour Party did not make this clear in the manifesto, and the wording in the recent Work and Families Bill does not specify that the time off will be paid, so Gerry's confirmation is very important to us."

Via the video, secretary of state for trade and industry Alan Johnson congratulated Usdaw on its successful campaigns and its ability to lobby the Government in a professional and effective manner. This political backing was echoed by Gerry Sutcliffe. "Since Labour was elected in 1997 we have introduced 350 gains for working people," he said. "The work/life balance is important. So is having decent holiday provision, reasonable working hours, and low unemployment. We want to work with the unions, we may not always agree, but when we disagree we shouldn't fall out over it."

Big issues on the agenda

Bank holiday working, Sunday trading, Freedom From Fear, Supporting Parents and Carers, recruitment and organising, and Christmas working were all subject to debate at the conference.

Propositions on migrant workers, premium pay, call-out pay, and convenience stores were also discussed. Full coverage in December's issue of Network.

Praise for M&S push

Delegates enjoyed a promotional and entertaining video outlining Usdaw's campaigning achievements during the year.

Recruitment, Supporting Parents & Carers, Freedom From Fear, Lifelong learning, and the organising academy all featured prominently. As did the union's campaign for recognition at high street retailer Marks and Spencer.

In the video, activist Simon Benyon, above, appeared and summed up the situation very clearly. "All the changes at M&S have been management led," he said. "There has been no meaningful consultation although I'm sure M&S would disagree. But I would say to them - when did the internal consultation forum (known as BIG) overturn any of those decisions? I rest my case."

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