Lillis re-elected unopposed to serve second term as Usdaw general secretary

Paddy Lillis has been re-elected to serve a second term as general secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, after being the only candidate to receive the required 25 branch nominations.

Lillis was re-elected unopposed as Usdaw general secretary today, a position he has held since 2018. He said he was “honoured” at the decision to re-elect him, adding that the work the union has done during his first term puts it “in a strong position to meet the challenges ahead”.

The union leader said: “I will continue to tackle the many challenges ahead for our union. Not least is the cost-of-living crisis that is having a devastating impact on the lives of our members, who are now struggling to make ends meet with prices skyrocketing and wages struggling to keep up.”

An Usdaw survey of retail workers, published in August, found that one in four respondents were missing meals every month in order to pay their bills – up from one in 20 last year.

The survey of more than 5,500 retail staff revealed that petrol prices and travel costs were impacting the ability of nearly 50% of respondents to get to work. Seven in ten said they had relied on insecure borrowing to cover household costs.

Lillis said today: “We need to secure a new deal for workers that will end low pay and insecure work. A minimum wage of at least £12 now as a step towards £15 per hour and secure contracts that guarantee hours.

“It is clear that the Conservatives are not going to keep their promise to ‘build back better’, so we have to work to win a Labour government and get Keir Starmer into No 10 to help get the country back on track.

“The work we have done in my first term puts the union in a strong position to meet the challenges ahead, and I’d like to thank our national executive council for their ongoing support.

“We have a fantastic team of workplace reps, activists and staff who do a great job of representing our members and their work is crucial in supporting me in taking Usdaw forward.”

Lillis served as Usdaw deputy general secretary for 14 years before being elected general secretary four years ago. He has been a member of the union since 1978, having joined while he was working as a heavy goods driver for Abbey Meat Packers Ltd in Newtonabbey, County Antrim.

The union leader was first appointed to Usdaw’s staff in 1989 as an area organiser in the Bristol office. He later served as divisional officer leading the union’s South Wales and Western division.