Joanne Thomas – Usdaw general secretary says: “Today we put the spotlight on Usdaw’s all-year-round campaigning for more support from Government to help make juggling work with family life a bit easier. The cost of living crisis continues to hit low-paid workers the hardest. For parents and carers, the additional costs of caring can stretch family finances to breaking point. That’s why our campaign theme for this year’s Spotlight Day is ‘Under Pressure’.
“Parents are having to balance bills, rent and rising energy costs with food and clothing for children. Carers face similar financial pressures. Nearly half of all unpaid carers have cut back on essentials such as food, heating, clothing and transport costs. Constantly making sacrifices to try and make ends meet is not good for parents, carers and those who depend on them. The impact on our members can be profound, with three out of four telling us that money worries are negatively affecting their mental health.
“Families are under pressure, and Usdaw wants members who are juggling work with caring to know we can help. Usdaw assists parents, carers and grandparents who need flexibility and support at work. Our fantastic workplace reps help ensure that members understand their rights, are able to access the support that is available to them and signpost to organisations who can help.”
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 370,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also represents many workers in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Usdaw’s Supporting Parents and Carers Campaign: https://www.usdaw.org.uk/campaigns/supporting-parents-and-carers/
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion