Joanne Thomas, 46, is a lifelong trade unionist, having started as an Usdaw workplace rep when working at wholesaler Makro. She was employed by Usdaw as an area organiser in Newcastle and then regional secretary for the North East. Joanne has served on the Labour Party National Executive Committee and chaired its organising committee, along with holding the presidency of the Yorkshire and Humber TUC.
Joanne Thomas - Usdaw general secretary says: “It is a great honour to serve as the general secretary of Usdaw, the trade union I have been a member of all my working life. I am proud to be the first woman elected to this role and would like to thank all the members, reps and officials who have supported me over the years and prepared me to take on the biggest role in our union. I have a tough act to follow; Paddy Lillis has an incredible record of service and leadership.
“I am deeply committed to our members and the values that define our union. The strength of our great movement is in our members and workplace reps; their solidarity and comradeship are really important to me. That is what inspires me to seek to negotiate and campaign for change to improve lives and get a better deal for workers. There are many challenges ahead for Usdaw and our members. I believe I can bring strong leadership and make a real difference in my new role.
“Strengthening our voice by growing our membership and organising more young workers will help build a union that’s fit to face the challenges of the future. That will enable us to continue to negotiate with employers to get the best deal for our members. I am committed to supporting and developing our workplace lay representatives, who do such a brilliant job on the frontline of delivering for our members.
“After one year of Labour in Government, it is clear that they are listening to our members and delivering on Usdaw’s long-running campaigns. The Employment Rights Bill is the new deal we have long called for and will mean better protections and support for workers, along with new opportunities for Usdaw to recruit and organise workers. The Crime and Policing Bill will make it a specific offence to assault a shop worker and tackle the epidemic of retail crime. Record minimum wage increases mean that we’re making progress on a legally binding real living wage and an end to rip-off youth rates.
“Today is my first day as Usdaw’s new general secretary. I can’t wait to get started, working with our members, reps and staff to build on the incredible work that Usdaw does day in, day out. All my working life I have been a member of this fantastic union and I have always been incredibly proud to serve our members. I will continue to do so as the first-ever woman to lead Usdaw.”
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 trade union 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
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion