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Usdaw urges members and reps to join the fight for a Labour Government, bringing an end to the current failing administration

Date: 03 May 2022 Following the key-note address by Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP, delegates at Usdaw’s Annual Delegate Meeting debated the union’s political strategy and agreed the National Executive Council’s statement ‘Politics Matters’.
The document sets out how politics affects us all and how Usdaw members can get involved in delivering a Labour Government. The full statement can be viewed here.
 
Addressing delegates at the annual conference in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary said: “Recent events have also clearly demonstrated why politics is important. We've seen this Government's response to the pandemic, the financial choices they've made to cut benefits, their lack of action on our pitifully low levels of statutory sick pay and now we're seeing their failure to address the cost of living crisis. All of this on top of years of cuts and neglect of the public services we rely on. Every one of these decisions is affected by the politicians we elect.
 
“I want Usdaw to be a campaigning force to be reckoned with, in many ways we already are. We know that these are difficult times for all working people, especially for low paid workers and we know that this Conservative Government is not acting in the interests of working people. The Tories might talk about making work pay and levelling up, but for them, talk is cheap.
 
“This is the same Conservative Party that restricted the ability of trade unions to represent their members, the same Conservative Party that privatised our essential services, so that they put profits before people, the same Conservative Party that took food from the mouths of deprived children during school holidays. We must never forget this.
 
“So it is not just our goal, but our duty, to remove this Government and replace it with one that will work with us, deliver for our members and improve the lives of working people across this country. It is was the Labour Government that gave us the minimum wage, that delivered the shortest NHS waiting times on record, that established Sure Start centres, free nursery places and lifted two million children out of absolute poverty.
 
“How are we going to deliver the Labour Government that our members need? We need to encourage more of our members to become activists, directly engaging in politics. We cannot afford another Conservative Government, we must recommit to removing the Tories from office and we must join together in delivering a Labour Government that would be on the side of our members and working people across the country.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is 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.
 
For further information please contact Usdaw’s Media Officer, David Williams on: 0161 249 2469, 07798 696 603 or by e-mail to david.a.williams@usdaw.org.uk
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion

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The official website of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers