The Chancellor is set to deliver his Budget on Wednesday 6 November 2019 and Usdaw is calling on him to:
- Support the struggling retail sector with an industrial strategy.
- Help low-paid workers, typically on insecure contracts.
- Immediately halt the roll-out of Universal Credit.
- Fund the skills training workers need to deal with the challenges of automation.
Usdaw’s full budget submission:
www.usdaw.org.uk/2019Budget
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary says: “Usdaw wants a thriving retail sector that provides well-paid secure employment for our members and we are challenging the Chancellor to deliver policies to achieve that.
“In cities, towns and local communities we’ve seen retail businesses close, shops boarded up and restructuring at every level. Retail employers are similarly calling for government intervention to tackle the crisis on our high streets. What we haven’t seen so far is any real action from the Government, any clear or coherent strategy for the retail sector or any evidence that they are listening the worries and concerns of shopworkers.
“Retail is at a turning point. The Government needs to end their short-term approach which results in cuts, low pay and insecure work. We need a long-term strategy that delivers decent pay, secure jobs and changed attitudes towards retail work; giving shopworkers the respect they deserve.
“Respecting shopworkers means good pay of at least £10 per hour, a proper contract that reflects the normal hours worked and enough hours every week to make a living. The Chancellor must also ensure that workers’ incomes are not undermined when they are transferred on to Universal Credit. Usdaw is calling for the rollout of Universal Credit to be stopped and for a fundamental rethink of the policy.
“Automation is an ever increasing concern for many workers, who face seeing their jobs potentially under threat from new technology. We need investment in skills training with enhanced funding directed at those industries most likely to be impacted.
“These are significant issues that our members face and need substantial interventions from the Government. We hope that the Chancellor is listening.”
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 410,000 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
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