Usdaw is well known as a campaigning union and there is no better campaign than the Respect for Shop Workers Week which took place recently.

Shopworkers play a critical role in both our national economy and our local communities. Often working long and unsociable hours, they are the direct contact with consumers. As an Usdaw MP I have always been hugely supportive of initiatives such as this campaign – Usdaw’s Freedom from Fear campaign has played an important role in highlighting the daily challenges which often face shop workers in their workplace. The union has also, of course, run very successful campaigns on Christmas Day Working, employee rights and Challenge 25. The latter is particularly important given that violence towards shop workers often occurs in relation to restricted sales where identification is asked for.

We have a vibrant retail sector in this country, and many of our firms are leading the way in ensuring that their employees are protected at work, supported in their careers and properly rewarded. But clearly there is more to do in this area: we read on Progress during the week stories of shopworkers being subjected to abuse and violence while doing their jobs. This is completely unacceptable, and preventing this behaviour must be at the top of the agenda for every retailer.

As well as protection at work, respect also means being paid a fair wage and acceptable terms and conditions. The National Minimum Wage transformed pay in sectors with a high proportion of low-paid jobs and HMRC enforcement has been robust, but we must now take the opportunity to improve the pay and conditions of shop workers further and that’s why we have backed calls for employers to pay a living wage.

Employee rights have been put at risk by the Tory-led government’s approach – the recently leaked Beecroft report floated the idea of doing away with unfair dismissal altogether. We are clear: attacking employee rights is no substitute for a growth strategy. The Tory-led government is making it easier to fire at the very time when it needs to be making it easier to hire.

Consumer confidence has been hit by this January’s VAT rise and retail businesses up and down the country are feeling the effects, with sales remaining sluggish. Ministers should adopt Labour’s five-point plan for jobs and growth to get the economy moving again, and back our high streets by temporarily reversing January’s VAT hike; creating 100,000 new jobs through repetition of a bankers’ bonus tax, cutting VAT, supporting construction, and giving small firms a tax break for taking on extra workers. All these steps would help shop workers.

We must wholeheartedly recognise the contribution Usdaw has made to the long-term protection and safety of shop workers. All Progress members should get involved by making sure local stores are backing to Usdaw’s campaigns; supporting Labour’s five point plan for jobs and growth to boost our retail sector and fighting back against the Tory-led government’s attacks on employee rights.

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Ian Murray is MP for Edinburgh South and a member of the shadow BIS team