Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “Today we remember the millions of people who laid down their lives to defeat a fascist ideology that has no place in our political world.
We’ll never forget the sacrifices of those who fought for peace. Among them, at one time, there were over 100,000 retail workers serving in the armed forces.
“On the home front, Usdaw’s predecessor unions worked closely with the coalition government to secure the efficient distribution of supplies. In 1940, when food rationing was introduced, union members were on the frontline of managing that when serving in shops – a reminder that our members have always been essential workers.
“World War Two was a victory for good against hatred, tyranny and evil. VE Day is our chance to again acknowledge our debt, that can never be repaid, to those who achieved that victory. When the nation falls silent today, my thoughts will turn both to those who served, those that we lost and those they left behind. Today we celebrate the freedoms that we all enjoy.”
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: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion