Karen Whitefield – Usdaw Official says: “We are grateful to Stephanie Peacock for her support and look forward to speaking to shoppers in Wombwell. Usdaw’s petition calls for the urgent action needed to save jobs and protect our local high streets with a government-led clear and coherent strategy for retail. The Government must address the growing crisis on our high streets, as we have called for through our ‘Save our Shops’ campaign.

“The retail industry is experiencing turbulent and challenging times. It directly employs around 3 million across the UK, with many more in distribution and manufacturing reliant on thriving high streets in our towns and cities. Contributing 11% of UK economic output, it is clear that the retail crisis has a huge knock on effect, impacting the UK economy and a significant number of workers.
 
“The scale of store closures we have seen is devastating, not just for the workforce, but also for our communities and town centres. The Government needs to show that it takes retail jobs seriously by listening to and acting on workers’ concerns.”
 
Stephanie Peacock MP (Labour, Barnsley East) says: “Our local high streets are the lifeblood of our communities – they play such an important role in our local area, and I’ll always do all I can to support them.
 
“Given the importance of our high streets, shoppers in Wombwell and across our area are understandably concerned as in recent years we’ve lost a number of shops, with the closure of local bank branches being of particular concern.
 
“So I welcome Usdaw’s ‘Save our Shops’ campaign and urge residents to sign the petition calling on the Government to take action and protect our local vital local high streets.”
 
Usdaw’s ‘Save Our Shops’ petition: We call on the Government to take urgent action by adopting an industrial strategy for retail and implementing the following comprehensive and co-ordinated policies:

• Review taxation, commercial rents and business rates to ensure a level playing field between ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers and online retailers, providing a new framework that supports local communities and the wider economy.
• A minimum wage of £10 per hour for all workers, secure work and investment in skills and training to provide decent pay and job security for retail workers and drive up productivity.
• Give retail workers a say over the future of retail and the introduction of new technology, with a designated inclusive body that ensures the Government recognises the crucial role retail has in the UK economy.

Save or Shops petition: www.usdaw.org.uk/signsos
 
Usdaw’s industrial strategy for retail: www.usdaw.org.uk/retailstrategy

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 @UsdawUnion