‘Those who aspire to lead Labour must be clear about the party’s responsibilities to working people’

When I stood to be General Secretary of Usdaw, the trade union for retail and distribution workers, I was clear about one thing above all else. My priority would always be delivering for our members, who are vital key workers keeping our economy moving. When you sit down to eat your dinner, it’s highly likely that an Usdaw member has been involved in getting it there – from food production, to warehouse and delivery, to stacking shelves and serving you at the checkout. Our members work hard, and they are at the heart of their communities. It is them who matter most to me, and they are why Usdaw takes politics seriously.

We are proud of what we achieve through industrial organisation. Just this week, our members overwhelmingly accepted an improved pay offer at Morrisons. The business initially offered the literal bare legal minimum, but because of our determined negotiators, organisers and reps, the company came back with a significantly improved offer. Elsewhere in the sector, last month we reached agreement for another above inflation rise for members in Tesco, meaning that over the last five years their pay has increased by 43%. That shows the real power of union membership in retail. 

We will always use every tool available to advocate for our members. That is why, at Usdaw’s conference this year, delegates unanimously reaffirmed our commitment to political organising within the Labour Party, alongside our industrial work.

READ MORE: Labour affiliated unions demand ‘urgent change’ after ‘catastrophic’ election results

At that conference, we also welcomed the Prime Minister. He made a strong case for the government’s achievements, including the Employment Rights Act, action on child poverty, and the creation of a specific offence for assaulting a retail worker. These are real reforms, and they will make a material difference to our members’ lives.

He was also clear on his decisions to keep this country out of Trump’s needless war with Iran, for which he deserves immense credit. None of this could have happened without the election of a majority Labour Government in 2024. Usdaw campaigned hard for that victory, and we did so proudly. 

That election gave people hope for the future, for the first time in a long time. And yet, since then, people have not always felt that the Government has always got its priorities right and in line with the Labour values they expected, both in policy and in politics. Early decisions, including changes to the Winter Fuel Allowance soon after the election, unsettled many. Proposals on welfare caused understandable anxiety, particularly among those already struggling. Other decisions, including the appointment of Peter Mandelson, raised questions that could have been anticipated and avoided.

Taken together, these choices have undermined the confidence the electorate has with our Party. That loss of trust was evident in last week’s election results. As someone from Sunderland, it is deeply disappointing to see Reform now leading in a city with such a strong Labour tradition. Across the country, hundreds of hardworking councillors lost their seats to Reform and the Greens. That will have an impact on the Labour Party, but also on the people who have lost champions for their local communities, many of whom are Usdaw members. Opposition parties framed these elections as a referendum on the Labour Government. While that ignores the important role of local government, we cannot pretend that people, still struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, believe that the Government is delivering change that is bold enough or fast enough. 

I completely understand those frustrations, because we in the trade union movement are experiencing them too. The ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’ is a transformational programme that was created by trade unions working with the Labour Party. It was endorsed by the electorate in 2024, and is overwhelmingly popular. I am so proud that Labour brought it into law, but I am sorry to say that the Government has not done enough to fully stand behind its promises and promote the benefits of the Plan. 

Much of the detail of the Employment Rights Act is still to be worked out. Over recent months, my union has become increasingly concerned that the Government is headed towards getting those details wrong, and in doing so risks missing an historic opportunity to rebalance power in the workplace. The Government has often failed to be unapologetically pro-worker, instead being too willing to make concessions to those who have a vested interest in undermining the rights of workers. 

I made this point directly to the Prime Minister several weeks ago. The proposals on access rights and guaranteed hours contracts did not live up to what was promised. We were assured a new political process to get implementation right. 

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We still, however, remain in a position where decisions taken on access and guaranteed hours risk falling short of the manifesto commitments and Labour’s ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’, which is ultimately about providing more balance and stability to workers. 

Despite all the assurances that delivering the ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’ was a priority for the government and the Prime Minister, we are not currently seeing this happen in practice. On this, on the cost of living crisis, and on so much more, working people expect better from a Labour Government, and so they should.

The evident loss of confidence of the electorate means that we, as an affiliated trade union, must consider how the Party can regain trust and whether that can only be achieved by a change of leadership. After careful consideration, it is for these reasons I supported a statement from affiliated unions, acknowledging that it was clear that the Prime Minister will not lead Labour into the next election and that at some stage a plan would have to be put in place for the election of the new leader. 

This was not a step I took lightly, and it could have been avoided had there been greater willingness to listen to a wider range of voices, including trade unions. 

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Those who aspire to lead Labour next should reflect carefully on these lessons. Above all, they must be clear about the party’s responsibilities to working people. The commitments in the manifesto, especially the ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’, matter. We expect them to be honoured, and we will hold any future Labour leader to the same standard, so that the focus is on delivery for ordinary people and most certainly Usdaw members.

We welcome the consensus that has formed around having the widest possible contest for the Labour leadership and the decision to not to block the Greater Manchester Mayor from seeking selection as the candidate for the Makerfield by-election. It is only right that Party members have the choice of our most talented people when choosing their leader.

Joanne Thomas is writing in her capacity as General Secretary of Usdaw

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