Usdaw welcomes TUC support for groundbreaking Parents and Carers campaign

Retail union Usdaw has won overwhelming support from the TUC for their innovative Parents and Carers campaign.

The TUC congress in Brighton passed a motion proposed by Usdaw calling for increased rights for Britain’s unheralded army of parents and carers.

The motion recognised the main issues in Usdaw’s campaign to boost the rights of parents and carers on the shopfloor and Usdaw is the only trade union to mandate its officials to put increased rights for parents and carers on the table at every pay negotiation.

“We’re delighted that Britain’s trade unions have recognised the urgent need to help the millions of parents and carers across the UK,” says Usdaw General Secretary John Hannett. “We’re also pleased they recognised the pioneering work we’re doing in this area which our members tell us is vital if they are to have a proper balance between their work and responsibilities to their loved ones.”

“We’ve been campaigning hard this year to make sure that employers understand that getting that balance right isn’t always easy, but it isn’t that impossible to manage those issues in a positive way that benefits the booming retail sector and the people they employ.”

“We’re a campaigning union and we have already won some significant victories in extending maternity and paternity leave for our members. Our member’s kids have just lobbied the Minister for Children for extended rights to request flexible working which would really help tackle the work/life balance issue.”

“We’re told all too often trade unions are dying, but as Britain’s fastest growing union we’ve really delivered the goods for those who do so much unpaid work taking care of the next generation and some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber backed the resolution and has been a long time supporter of their innovative Parents and Carers initiative.

“Usdaw have been the leader in challenging the idea that Britain’s 2.5 million retail workers can’t have a sensible work/life balance,” Brendan Barber said. “I was very encouraged the whole union movement backed this resolution so strongly because the rights of parents and carers have now been put firmly on our agenda and they are not going to go away.”

Notes to Editors:

• For more information about Usdaw's Parents and Carers Campaign visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/campaigns/supportingparentsandcarers .

• Contacts for newsdesks: Usdaw’s Media Officer, Paul Clarke, can be contacted on 0161 249 2469 or e-mail paul.clarke@usdaw.org.uk.

• Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK’s fifth biggest trade union, with over 340,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.

• More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.

• Journalists can subscribe to receive Usdaw news releases via our online e-news service.

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