The Union of Shop Distributive and Allied Workers is celebrating its 125th anniversary at Ipswich Institute throughout August 2016. The union’s pop-up exhibition reviews Usdaw’s social history and showcases campaigns then and now in the areas of safer workplaces, better conditions, improved pay and fairness at work. The exhibition is free, open to all and offers a fascinating insight into the rights of shopworkers through the years.

One hundred and twenty five years ago, representatives of workers met in Manchester and Birmingham to establish the trade unions which would, in 1947, amalgamate to become the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.

John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says: “From our earliest days we have always been involved in campaigning and in our second century we’ve modernised, become more advanced and turned Usdaw into 'The Campaigning Union'.

“We have a solid record of involving members in evidence based campaigning to improve working lives. From raising health and safety standards, to promoting a good work/life balance; from fighting for a legal minimum wage, to demanding equal pay for work of equal value.”

The exhibition will travel to venues throughout the UK during 2016 and be hosted by Association of Independents Libraries (AIL) member libraries, public museums and the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

Notes for editors:

Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fourth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 17% in the last five years and by nearly a third in the last decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the Union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.

The Ipswich Institute http://ipswichinstitute.org.uk is as progressive now as when it was founded in 1824 - just nine years after the Battle of Waterloo! Dr. George Birkbeck's Mechanics' Institution was dedicated to making knowledge available to the 'artisans' of Ipswich and encouraging their general and vocational education. The Ipswich Institute provides lending library facilities and an extensive programme of leisure learning courses, talks and trips to over 2,000 members.  It also serves as a haven for relaxation and refreshment (with both a café and a restaurant) in which to escape the hustle of a busy town centre.

For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion