During ♥UNIONS week, Usdaw is highlighting our campaigns and successes; working with employers and politicians on solutions to our members’ issues and concerns, including:
Health and safety matters: Highlighting the positive impact our health and safety reps can have in workplaces with an awareness day on 26 February.
Young workers: Challenging age discrimination and calling for an end to rip-off youth rates, with a campaign week from 23-29 March.
New deal for workers: Highlighting, in April and November, the new rights for workers that come from the implementation of Labour’s Employment Rights Act.
Supporting parents and carers: ‘Working carers under pressure’ is the theme of this year’s spotlight day on 24 June.
LGBT+ equality: Tackling discrimination and harassment by standing with our LGBT+ friends, colleagues and members, along with supporting Pride events.
National retail workers day: On 4 July, we’ll be celebrating the crucial role retail workers have in our economy and communities.
Pensions awareness week: To help members make plans for their retirement, even if that is many years ahead, 16-20 September.
Mental health: Supporting members with mental health issues, with the theme of ‘it's good to talk’, with an action day on 10 October.
Wear red day: On 16 October, we’ll be joining millions across the UK in taking a stand against racism.
Freedom from fear: Usdaw’s campaign against abuse of retail staff, with Respect for Retail Workers Week from 9-15 November.
Festive working: Campaigning for a decent break for retail staff and urging customers to keep their cool in December.
Joanne Thomas – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Usdaw is the campaigning union, improving workers’ lives and delivering for our members. Our reps and activists do a fantastic job organising for fairness at work, promoting equality by tackling discrimination and getting a better deal for our members, along with improving health and safety in their workplaces. The vast majority of our members are key workers who keep the country fed and healthy, but they are too often underpaid, poorly treated and do not receive the respect they deserve.
“This year sees significant steps forward in our major campaigns. Labour’s Employment Rights Act will help deliver the new deal for workers we have long campaigned for by tackling low-paid insecure employment. The Government’s Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a protection of retail workers law, ensuring theft from shops is taken seriously, with more uniformed officers patrolling the streets and Respect Orders for offenders.
“In ‘Heart Unions’ week, Usdaw, along with the TUC, is celebrating the positive contribution trade union members make to the UK economy and wider society, campaigning for improvements in workers’ lives and highlighting the benefits of trade union membership.”
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
Heart Unions’ week: 9-15 February 2026 highlights the positive contribution that trade unions make in workplaces and across wider society www.tuc.org.uk/heartunions
Join Usdaw: www.usdaw.org.uk/Join-Us
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion