Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “John Prescott was an inspiration to all trade unionists as he rose through the ranks of our movement to one of the highest offices of state. John was a crucial part of the new Labour project that finally ended 18 years of Conservative rule and delivered the landslide Labour victory in 1997. John was a no-nonsense and straight-talking politician who was uniquely able to explain how the Party maintained traditional values in a modern setting. A great friend of Usdaw, John is a true working class hero and is much missed. We send our condolences to Pauline and the family.”
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