Campaigns help USDAW to recruit

The annual Organising Awards of retail union USDAW have highlighted the advantage of focusing on specific issues facing groups of potential members - a strong theme in the union's organising efforts over the past year.

USDAW reps have been recruiting around the union's big campaigns such as "Supporting Parents and Carers", designed to make sure that shop staff have a proper work-life balance, and the anti-violence campaign "Freedom From Fear".

At the awards ceremony in Manchester last month, USDAW general secretary John Hannett handed out trophies to more than 50 reps in acknowledgement of their excellence in recruiting and organising.

They included "Recruiter of the Year" Tracey Low, who used her six-month secondment to USDAW's Organising Academy to recruit more than 1,300 new members, working largely around the Supporting Parents and Carers campaign.

* In the latest stage of its campaign for recognition at Marks and Spencer (M&S), USDAW is arguing that the retailer should match its commitment to fair trade by giving its own staff the right to join a "fair trade union".

"Supporting fair trade growers by selling ethically sourced coffee in their restaurants is a great initiative, but many shoppers would be concerned that the same ethical values don't extend to allowing our M&S members recognition," said general secretary John Hannett.

Despite USDAW's recruitment successes at M&S (see Workplace Report, November 2006), the company still refuses to recognise it.