Trade Union
This coverage examines trade union activity and its impact on the UK retail industry. Reporting highlights industrial action, wage negotiations, working conditions disputes, and agreements between unions and employers. Designed for professionals overseeing workforce relations, HR policy, and operational planning in response to labour movements and employee advocacy.
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Dec- 2025 -18 DecemberHigh Street
Usdaw calls for free flu jabs for retail staff amid rising cases
Retail trade union Usdaw has called for shop workers to be offered free flu vaccinations, warning that rising cases risk disrupting an essential sector in the run-up to Christmas. The union said retail staff should be included in the governmentโs vaccination programme, which has already delivered more than 17 million…
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Oct- 2025 -30 OctoberGovernment
Usdaw condemns peers for voting down Employment Rights bill
Usdaw has condemned Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers in the House of Lords for voting against various parts of the Employment Rights Bill, sending it back to the House of Commons. Tory and Lib Dem peers voted against measures surrounding zero-hours contracts, unfair dismissal from day one, industrial action ballot…
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23 OctoberEconomy
Usdaw welcomes 6.7% rise in real Living Wage
Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed a 6.7% increase in the real Living Wage, describing it as โa welcome boost for the lowest-paid workersโ. It comes as the Living Wage Foundation announced yesterday (22 October) that the new rates will rise to ยฃ13.45 per hour across the UK and ยฃ14.80…
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Sep- 2025 -16 SeptemberGovernment
Usdaw calls on peers to end opposition to Employment Rights Bill
Retail union Usdaw has urged Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers to drop their opposition to the Employment Rights Bill after the government rejected all amendments proposed in the House of Lords. It said the Employment Rights Bill would enact โmajorโ changes to UK employment law. Key proposals include banning exploitative…
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9 SeptemberSupply Chain
ASOS signs landmark agreement to secure supply chain workersโ rights
ASOS has signed a legally-binding, landmark agreement with the International Transport Workersโ Federation (ITF) to protect transport workersโ rights and safety across its supply chains. Under a legally-binding human rights due diligence (HRDD) agreement, ASOS and the ITF will cooperate in conducting HRDD in ASOSโ transport operations and logistics. ITF…
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Jul- 2025 -28 JulyEconomy
BRC welcomes Lordsโ changes to Employment Rights Bill
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed amendments put forward by the House of Lords to the Employment Rights Bill, describing them as โpositive, practical and pragmaticโ steps to protect local, flexible and part-time jobs. Key changes proposed by peers include turning a right to guaranteed hours into a right…
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May- 2025 -13 MayFeatures
What does the new Employment Rights Bill mean for retailers?
The Employment Rights Bill, slated for major implementation in autumn 2026, is being hailed by the government as a bold step forward for workers’ rights. But for the retail sector โ a cornerstone of the UK economy that employs over three million people โ the swift nature of the proposed…
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Mar- 2025 -28 MarchSupermarkets
Asda unveils ยฃ80m investment into retail pay
Asda has announced an ยฃ80m investment in retail pay to increase hourly rates for store-based colleagues to ยฃ12.60 from October. Circa 115,000 Asda Retail and Asda Express colleagues will receive an above inflation increase of 4.7% in three phases, taking rates from ยฃ12.04 to ยฃ12.60 per hour. Hourly rates for…
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18 MarchSupermarkets
Tesco announces ยฃ180m investment in staff pay
Tesco has reached an agreement with trade union USDAW that will increase the hourly pay rate for staff in stores, from ยฃ12.02 to ยฃ12.45 from 30 March 2025, and again to ยฃ12.64 from the end of August. This two-stage rate increase represents an above-inflation increase of 5.2% builds on the…
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Sep- 2024 -12 SeptemberNews
Today’s news in brief-12/9/24
John Lewis Partnership reported a significant improvement in financial performance, narrowing pre-tax losses to ยฃ30m from ยฃ59m. Total revenue rose 2% to ยฃ5.2 billion, with Waitrose seeing a 5% sales increase. Investment in transformation, including new stores and digital initiatives, remains robust. PwC’s latest data reveals a rise in shop…
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