Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “We are looking forward to Labour’s first conference in power for 15 years and the discussions we will have on policies that can make a real difference to working people. The Government has already made a great start by announcing an Employment Rights Bill that will help to make work pay and tackle insecure employment. Also, they immediately changed the remit of the Low Pay Commission to take into account the cost of living and end rip-off youth rates. This week we will be looking to build on these early transformational achievements.
“The UK retail sector is an essential part of our economic and community infrastructure. It has an economic output of over £112 billion per year, directly employs around three million people and is present in every community across the country. However, over 6,000 retail outlets have been lost over the last five years. Retail closures have left shop vacancies within our communities, and workers facing redundancy. Action to address the issues facing the retail sector will be a critical step in establishing an effective industrial strategy, and a thriving retail sector must be a central element of Labour’s plan for growth.”
Usdaw is asking conference to support calls on the Labour Government to:
- Continue to recognise the importance of the retail sector within the UK’s economic and community infrastructure.
- Reform business rates and tackle the uneven playing field between online and bricks and mortar retailers, as an early priority.
- Tackle the employment issues facing workers in the sector through the introduction of the New Deal for Working People.
- Ensure union representation of retail workers on the UK’s Industrial Strategy Council.
- Invest in our high streets and deliver training and skills to ensure that the workforce is ready for the challenges of the future.
Paddy Lillis continues: “The potential impact of new technology on workers goes beyond job security, and can include work intensification, discriminatory algorithmic decisions and privacy issues. It is therefore crucial that the voice of workers is heard in Britain’s digital transition. We commend the work being done by union representatives in this area, but there are significant policy developments needed to address the challenges of AI and automation in the workplace. We are calling on the Labour Government to take action so that the UK’s employment rights framework is fit for purpose, in the light of current and future advances in AI.”
Usdaw is asking conference to support calls for:
- The right to meaningful consultation when new technology is introduced in the workplace.
- The right to switch off.
- A requirement for Equality Impact Assessments prior to new technology being introduced.
- The right for workers to have a human connection when decisions about them and their job are being made.
- A comprehensive review of the redundancy framework, including consultation requirements and the level of statutory redundancy pay, to strengthen protections for workers whose jobs are at risk.
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 Twitter/X @UsdawUnion