Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “The UK retail sector is an essential part of our economic and community infrastructure. Retail directly employs three million people, with a further 2.7 million within UK supply chains. Last year the economic output of retail was £110.4 billion, equating to 4.7% of the UK’s total economic output. Across the East of England, retail provides 8.7% of all employment.
“The retail industry continues to face huge challenges. High numbers of job losses and store closures over the last decade are scarring our high streets and communities; there are substantial issues that need to be addressed. We look forward to the Government delivering the much-needed and long overdue help the retail industry needs. Action on business rates, tackling retail crime and a new deal for working people are at the top of our list of priorities. A thriving retail sector must be a central element of Labour’s Plan for Growth.”
Usdaw is calling on the 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.
- Ensure the highest possible levels of protections for workers through the current Employment Rights Bill.
- Deliver an industrial strategy for retail, including union representation of retail workers on the UK’s Industrial Strategy Council.
- Invest in our high streets and deliver training and skills to ensure the workforce is ready for future challenges. This must include tackling the unintended consequences of postcode-based training and skills provisions.
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