Over 1,000 delegates, visitors and officials from across the UK will be attending to debate and vote on propositions from lay-member branches and statements from Usdaw’s National Executive Council on key issues including:
- Cost of living crisis and Usdaw’s ‘New Deal for Workers’ campaign
- Tackling racism in the workplace
- Call It Out! Towards an end to sexual harassment
- Health and safety at work
- A Labour Government that will deliver for our members
- Workers’ wages and conditions of employment
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Our Annual Delegate Meeting is effectively the union’s parliament and provides members with the opportunity to raise their issues of concern and make our policy. We have a packed agenda and it is clear that members are very concerned about the cost of living crisis and a Conservative government that is continually failing to help the lowest paid workers make ends meet.
“We need a New Deal for Workers: a minimum wage of at least £12 per hour now as a step towards £15; an end to insecure employment; respect for shopworkers; reform of the widely discredited Universal Credit; sick pay to reflect average pay; job security with stronger protections against redundancy and dismissal; equal pay and treatment at work, and a stronger voice for workers through strengthened trade union rights.
“The Tories promised to ‘build back better’, but regrettably their chaos at the top of Government has severely damaged our economy and workers living standards. As the cost of living crisis rages, with wages being devalued by rising prices, the Government has simply failed to understand the scale of the challenge faced by millions of workers across the country. Only Labour is pledged to deliver the change our members need.
“We look forward to a lively and informed debate on the core issues affecting the lives of working people and their families.”
Media representatives wishing to attend the conference should contact David Williams, Usdaw’s Media Officer, to arrange accreditation.
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 350,000 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 @UsdawUnion