Retail trade union Usdaw will this weekend campaign on the streets of Scotland calling for the government to take action to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
The move comes as Usdaw published statistics from its cost-of-living survey of more than 5,500 retail staff. Nearly 50% of respondents say petrol prices and travel costs impact their ability to get to work; 70% have relied on insecure borrowing and 60% of these are struggling with repayments; 25% are missing meals to be able to pay their bills; and nearly 75% report their mental health is being impacted as a result.
Usdaw will be campaigning on George Street in Aberdeen; Kirkgate, Leith Walk in Edinburgh and Tesco Silverburn in Glasgow.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, said: “These are the very real experiences of essential workers who were clapped during the pandemic and now seem to be forgotten. The government has offered only sticking plasters that go nowhere near covering rising prices and bills, so there needs to be significant increases in minimum wage rates and fundamental reforms to end insecure work.”
