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Speaking up for fairness at work
09 December 2005
There’s never a dull moment in the world of work and with the Christmas rush already upon us there are many other challenges facing the trade union movement.
One of the biggest issues for Usdaw is the threat of extended Sunday opening which some employers seem to be calling for.
Much is made of 'consumer demand' for more shopping hours on Sunday. I've never really believed this, but Usdaw wasted no time in commissioning its own independent survey to find out what the shopping public really think. It came as no surprise to me that this survey revealed that a majority of consumers are not calling for more trading hours.
We will be using this and other facts from the survey to tell the Government that there is no need for extended Sunday trading.
Another massive issue for UK workers is holidays. Whether that's working bank holidays or a worker's annual entitlement - it's a key feature of our working lives.
This year will again see bank holiday arrangements complicated because Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on a Sunday. All of our reps will be issued with information and advice on how to tackle this complicated issue. Members should speak to their local rep or local area organiser now and establish the trading pattern at their store and tackle any potential problems as early as possible.
Usdaw will continue to talk to ministers to make sure everyone who works on bank holidays is treated fairly. We will be pressing the Government to make sure that staff who have to work on bank holidays, as many staff in retail and distribution do, should have the right to a paid day off in lieu.
This is a point we will be making to ministers during the forthcoming consultation.
I was delighted to hear trade and industry minister Gerry Sutcliffe reaffirm the Government's intention to exclude bank holidays from the legal minimum entitlement of 20 days. In effect this will mean that workers are guaranteed at least 28 days' holiday a year.
Gerry was speaking at our retail trades conference and this is a sign of Usdaw's standing in Government circles that such a high profile politician took the time to join us at one of our major get-togethers.
On behalf of the Executive Council, I want to wish all of Usdaw's hard-working members and their families a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
John Hannett, General Secretary
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