Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “We have long campaigned for support for a struggling retail sector and called on politicians to create strategies that will help the industry flourish, so we very much welcome Sadiq Khan’s plans. We believe that the Mayor of London’s Transformation Project for Oxford Street could help to revitalise the area, including through pedestrianisation.
“When the scheme goes ahead, we look forward to working on implementation. While we appreciate the potential overall benefits, there could be impacts on retail workers, including safe travel to work for shop staff and access to stores for delivery drivers. Overall, we believe the plan will breathe new life into Oxford Street by improving visitor experience, enabling al fresco dining and outdoor events.”
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