The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) is a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, consisting of around 360,000 members. Usdaw members work in a variety of occupations and industries including: shopworkers, factory and warehouse workers, drivers, call centres, clerical workers, milkround and dairy process, butchers and meat packers, catering, laundries, chemical processing, home shopping and pharmaceutical. The retail sector employs around 2.77 million people. Usdaw is campaigning to win a “New Deal for Workers”: A minimum wage that workers can actually live on; secure hours and an end to zero hours contracts; sick pay for everyone, from day one of illness; stronger redundancy rights; fairness, equality and a stronger voice at work. Usdaw’s annual Respect for Shopworkers Week usually takes place mid-November and runs from 14th to 20th in 2022. During the campaign week Usdaw members are raising awareness of the union’s year-round Freedom from Fear Campaign, talking to the public to promote a message of ‘respect for shopworkers’. Usdaw relies upon a "partnership" model with large employers such as with Tesco, where there exist "privileged access" to the management of both organisations. This arrangement coupled with its actions has been met with criticism, such as where the union seemingly presents itself as being concerned more with maintaining it's positive, comfortable position and easy membership supply than that of fair representation of its members. It is widely considered to be on the right-wing on the political spectrum, occupying the "politically conservative" section of the Labour Party. In November 2021, the union was criticised at its refusal to negotiate with a Nottingham-based employer who was proposing a 'fire-and-rehire' policy leaving to workers having to negotiate for themselves.

History

The union was formed in 1947 by the merger of the National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers and the

National Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks The National Amalgamated Union of Shop Assistants, Warehousemen and Clerks (NAUSAWC, often known as the Shop Assistants' Union) was a trade union representing retail workers in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in 1891 with the merger of t ...

. Some other unions have since merged in, including the

Amalgamated Society of Boot and Shoe Makers and Repairers The Amalgamated Society of Boot and Shoe Makers (AABS) was a trade union representing workers involved in shoemaking in the United Kingdom. The union was founded in December 1861 as the London United Societies of Cordwainers, bringing together fi ...

in 1955, and the

Scottish Union of Bakers and Allied Workers The Scottish Union of Bakers and Allied Workers was a trade union representing bakers and confectioners in Scotland. The union was founded in 1888, when it was known as the Operative Bakers' National Federal Union of Scotland. By the following ...

in 1978.Arthur Marsh and John B. Smethurst, ''Historical Directory of Trade Unions'', vol.5, pp.184-185

Publications

USDAW produces a quarterly membership magazine for members, ''Arena'', as well as a bimonthly magazine for union activists, ''Network''.

General Secretaries

Since 1947, USDAW has had eight General Secretaries: :1947: Sir Joseph Hallsworth :1949: Sir Alan Birch :1962: Lord Allen of Fallowfield :1979: Bill Whatley :1986: Lord Davies of Coity :1997: Sir William Connor :2004:

John Hannett John Hannett (born 23 June 1953) was General Secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW). Early life and career Hannett was born in Liverpool in 1953. He was a Low Pay Commissioner from 2007 to 2018. He is a former m ...

:2018:

Paddy Lillis Paddy Lillis is a trade union leader from Northern Ireland. Early life Worked as a heavy goods vehicle driver at Abbey Meat Packers in Newtownabbey in the early 1980s, when he joined the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW). ...

Presidents

Since 1947, USDAW has had eleven General Secretaries: :1947:

Percy Cottrell Percy Cottrell (1881 – 2 February 1948) was a British trade unionist. Born in Delph, Cottrell began working at the Delph Co-operative Society at the age of ten. He joined the Amalgamated Union of Co-operative Employees (AUCE) and in 1902 b ...

:1948:

Walter Padley Walter Ernest Padley (24 July 1916 – 15 April 1984) was a British Labour Member of Parliament for Ogmore. He was also President of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers from 1948 to 1964. Early life Walter Ernest Padley was ...

:1964: Dick Seabrook :1965: Rodney Haines :1967: Dick Seabrook :1974: Jim D. Hughes :1977: Sydney Tierney :1991:

Audrey Wise Audrey Wise (''née'' Brown; 4 January 1932Wise gave her age as thirty-nine when nominated for the Coventry parliamentary seat, though she had just turned forty-two when she was elected in February 1974. Her date of birth was routinely reported ...

:1997:

Marge Carey Margery Carey, Order of the British Empire, MBE (14 October 1938 – 23 January 2012) was a British trade unionist and served as President (corporate title), President of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) from 1997 to 2006 ...

, MBE :2006: Jeff Broome :2018: Amy Murphy :2021: Jane Jones

References

External links

* {{Authority control Trade unions in the United Kingdom 1947 establishments in the United Kingdom Trade unions established in 1947 Retail trade unions Food processing trade unions Food processing industry in the United Kingdom Trade unions affiliated with the Labour Party (UK) Trade unions based in Greater Manchester Trade unions affiliated with the Trades Union Congress