• At least £10 per hour minimum wage for all workers
• A right to a contract based on normal working hours
• A minimum 16 hour per week contract for those who want it
• and an end to zero hours contracts.

Introducing the ‘Time for Better Pay’ debate at the Usdaw Annual Delegate Meeting in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary said: “This campaign is important and necessary, but it shouldn't be necessary. It should go without saying, that people who go out to work should earn enough money, to put food on their table, to pay the bills, to have a decent roof over their head. There should be no need, in 21st century Britain, to make the case against in-work poverty, but there is, a dire need. So we are doing just that and we are doing it loudly and proudly.

“Since we launched the campaign back in September, ‘Time for Better Pay’ has very quickly become established and is making a real impact politically. Last year, the Government asked the independent Low Pay Commission to undertake a review of flexibility in the workplace. Usdaw submitted evidence and the Low Pay Commission told the Government that workers should be given a right to switch to a contract which reflects their normal hours. The Government is yet to act on that recommendation.
 
“Unfortunately, our calls are met with utter indifference by a Conservative Government that refuses to acknowledge the realities of day-to-day life for low paid workers on insecure contracts. Usdaw launched a petition on the Government website, calling for immediate action to tackle in-work poverty. Thanks to the hard work of our reps, by the end of that week, we had secured 10,000 signatures and the Government was required to formally respond.
 
“We hoped they would, at the very least, acknowledge the overwhelming evidence of how their policies are hurting working people, but they avoided the issue and said that: 'The National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage protects the lowest paid within our society.'
 
“Over half of people paid at or close to minimum wage rates are missing meals, just to pay the essential bills, and three out of four are struggling to pay for the energy to heat their homes. Let's be clear, when working on the minimum wage leaves you with a choice between eating and heating, there is no way that these rates can be described as 'protecting the lowest paid within our society'.
 
“It's clear that the Government has not listened to our members, so we are still pushing for 100,000 signatures to get the debate in Parliament that would force them to listen. One thing for certain is that the best way to deliver the changes our members need is to secure a Labour government at the next general election.
 
“Thanks to our influence within the Labour Party, the goals of the ‘Time for Better Pay’ campaign are already a key goal of the Labour Party. This country needs a clear and complete end to austerity, we need to see significant improvements to workers' rights and we need a Government that listens to the voice of trade unions.
 
‘Time for Better Pay’ petition can be accessed at: www.usdaw.org.uk/T4BP Usdaw is asking members and all who agree that workers deserve better pay and rights to sign the petition and share it with friends, family and colleagues.
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 420,000 members. Membership has increased by more than one-third over the last couple of decades. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion