Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Keir Starmer has today set out an agenda of ambitions for the country that absolutely chimes with the concerns and hopes of our members. Security, prosperity and respect are at the heart of Labour’s contract with voters and address the real issues of working people.
 
“Far too many workers are stuck on insecure contracts, struggling to make ends meet and desperate to be safe in the knowledge that they can provide for themselves and their families. Job security is a key ambition for Labour and Usdaw, which is why we are campaigning for an end to zero and short hours contracts.
 
“With the cost of living currently ballooning we need a new deal for workers and Keir is right to identify prosperity as a key ambition for workers. So Usdaw and Labour are campaigning for a minimum wage of at least £10 per hour immediately. We also need the Government to tackle rising prices, particularly the looming energy cost crisis.
 
“The pandemic has shown how well the country has worked together in the face of adversity, but regrettably a significant minority have responded by abusing key workers. Our members in retail have been on the frontline of this and while they’ve welcomed key worker recognition, they still suffer a lack of respect from the public. So it is good to hear the Labour leader talking about everyone being valued for who they are and what they do. Respect has to be at the heart of our society.
 
“The Conservatives talk about ‘levelling up’ and ‘building back better’, but their actions do not match their words. We welcome Keir Starmer’s speech today, he has shown that Labour understands the needs and concerns of working people and the party is a government in waiting, ready to deliver security, prosperity and respect.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 370,000 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.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion