Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Usdaw has long recognised that mental health is a workplace and trade union issue. For many years, Usdaw reps have been alert to the fact the workplace can impact on members' mental health and they play a vital role helping members get the right support.
 
“Usdaw’s co-ordinated day of action on mental health on Tuesday 10 October coincides with World Mental Health Day. It gives us another opportunity to highlight how Usdaw can help members where mental health problems are affecting their performance or attendance at work. It also gives us the chance to place on record our gratitude to Usdaw reps for the work they do, day in day out, supporting members.
 
“Organising campaign activity on mental health in the workplace can make a big difference by helping to tackle the ongoing stigma. It also helps to let members know that where they are experiencing problems at work for reasons relating to their mental health, we can help. Where the problems go beyond the workplace then the union can help by signposting members to independent, specialist support organisations.
 
“Being in a union is good for your mental health. This day of action is in addition to Usdaw’s all-year-round ‘it’s good to talk’ campaign, which helps our reps to talk about mental health and support members at work every day.”
 
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
 
Usdaw day of action on mental health: www.usdaw.org.uk/DayofActionMH
 
Usdaw’s ‘it's good to talk’ campaign: www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Mental-Health
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion