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125 years of Usdaw exhibiting at TUC Congress House throughout September 2016

Date: 06 September 2016 A pop-up exhibition ‘Usdaw: 125 Years Strong’ will be on display, free of charge, 8-23 September at the TUC’s Congress House. Advance booking is required by contacting [email protected] or 0161 413 0907 weekdays 8am - 4pm.

The exhibition reviews Usdaw’s social history, showcasing campaigns then and now in the areas of safer workplaces, better conditions, improved pay and fairness at work and offers a fascinating insight into the rights of shopworkers through the years.

In 1891 representatives of workers met in Manchester and Birmingham to establish the trade unions which would, in 1947, amalgamate to become the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers. It was in 1898 that the London United Shop Assistants Union joined with the National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks a founding union of Usdaw.

John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says: “From our earliest days we have always been involved in campaigning and in our second century we’ve modernised, become more advanced and turned Usdaw into 'The Campaigning Union'.

“We have a solid record of involving members in evidence based campaigning to improve working lives. From raising health and safety standards, to promoting a good work/life balance; from fighting for a legal minimum wage, to demanding equal pay for work of equal value.”

The exhibition is travelling to venues throughout the UK during 2016, hosted by Association of Independents Libraries (AIL) member libraries, public museums and the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

Notes for editors:

Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fourth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 17% in the last five years and by nearly a third in the last decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the Union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.

TUC Congress House https://www.tuc.org.uk/ The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is the voice of Britain at work. They represent nearly six million working people in 52 unions across the economy. The TUC campaigns for more and better jobs and a better working life for everyone, and we support trade unions to grow and thrive. www.tuc.org.uk

For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion

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The official website of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers