Usdaw has called on retailers to close early on Christmas Eve and to keep stores shut until 27 December. The union says that if stores do open, they should only be staffed with genuine volunteers on premium pay. Usdaw also asks shoppers to respect retail staff who far too often face violence, threats and abuse at work.
Voices from the festive frontline: Some of the comments from retail workers who completed the Usdaw festive working survey, when asked what impact Boxing Day working has on them:
- Impossible to visit immediate family who live in a different area. The store where I work is never busy on Boxing Day so feels like a waste of my time.
- My husband works Christmas Day so Boxing Day is our only day off together where we can celebrate the festivities.
- Robs me of the chance to see my family. The young nephew and nieces that I love dearly. Also means I have to curb my enjoyment on the big feast day.
- Because staff numbers have been drastically cut this year, I am absolutely exhausted and will go to church in the morning then sleep on my one day off.
- Very taxing time of year, busy store, rude customers, shopping in the last fifteen minutes of the day, I want to go home to see my family!
- It spoils Christmas Day celebrations, especially when visiting family as you have to return home early to prepare for getting up for work.
Joanne Thomas – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Too many retail workers do not get a decent break over the Christmas and New Year period. After working so hard to ensure we can all get ready to celebrate, they can arrive home shattered and have to spend time on Christmas Day getting ready for work the next day. This is why 97% of retail workers want shops to shut on Boxing Day.
“While Usdaw has successfully secured the closure of large stores on Christmas Day, the rest of the holiday season can see extended trading days for many. By the time retail workers get to Christmas Eve, they will have been through a very busy run-up to Christmas.
“Where we have agreements to negotiate with employers, we have reached national agreements for shops to be staffed with genuine volunteers only, and our workplace reps are supporting members to help make sure that happens at store level. We also send our appreciation to those workers behind the shopfront who have to work on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, not least in distribution, food and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“Our message to customers is have a great Christmas and a happy New Year. Please appreciate all those who have to work over the festive period. If you must shop on Boxing Day, please treat the staff with respect and understand they would most likely rather have the time off.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Usdaw’s festive working survey was conducted over the weekend of 20 and 21 December and received 7,552 responses from Usdaw members working in retail in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. When asked: “Do you think large shops should be closed on Boxing Day to give staff a well-earned rest?”, 97.37% said yes and 2.63% said no. A separate survey for Scotland, asking about New Year’s Day, is ongoing.
Usdaw’s festive campaigns: www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Xmas-isn-t-working
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion