Issues facing retail staff & managers

It was good to speak to Usdaw members at  Tesco again today.  They were pleased that extended Sunday trading hours were coming to an end this weekend but were fearful that the government will now try to push legislation through to permanently extend Sunday trading laws.

I heard from them how working in retail involves increasingly unsociable hours and the effects upon family life.  Sunday is the one day in the week, with children off school, that could be counted on to not have to work as long.

The previous Labour government voted to retain reduced working hours on a Sunday and I am against any suggestion that the Conservative led government should change the law.  I want to keep Sunday special.  Not just for employees but for everyone.  We must retain our culture that on a Sunday, people have more of a chance to do the things that we do not have the time to do during the rest of the week.  Whether it's family time, leisure, catching up on jobs at home or even having time to put your feet up.  I do not want to see the success of the Olympics used to undermine the value of what Sunday means to us as a country.

There were familiar stories about the cost of living going up and the struggle to keep heads above water and we discussed the benefit of reducing VAT for working people, income that does not go into savings but is spent on essentials.  Not only helping our pocket but crucial to stimulating the economy.  The government must take action against the cost of living and this would be an immediate and effective way of doing so.

In addition to speaking to staff it was good to hear from Alistair the Store Manager and Cath, Deputy Manager about the challenges for supermarkets during the downturn.  Getting people to part with their money is more challenging than ever with cheaper brand sales up and non food products down, as people cut back on the food bill.  High levels of customer service is key to keeping loyal customers and the improvements to the store are good to see, new signage, trolley parks etc.

We had a robust conversation on the rise of 4 hour contracts which prove profitable for the employer, maximising flexibility.  I made the point that for employees who have bills to pay, it can be far from ideal only being contracted for such a small number of hours, when the overtime is not available the bills still have to be paid.  I know many people who have more than one job as a way around this and of course this reduces the flexibility that employers are looking for.  There is a place for short hours, but I am concerned at the trend towards them that many employers are embracing.

Tesco remains to be one of the largest employers in the town with loyal staff and low staff turnover.  As their staff are their best asset I hope they continue with good rates of pay and measures such as staff shares, so that staff can benefit from the success of the company - of which they are the back bone.

It was a very insightful visit and I look forward to visiting again soon.