Retail issues like crime, business rates and other challenges facing the industry is expected to be one of the topics of discussion at the Scottish Labour Conference 2025 as UK's leading retail trade union will be attending the event and bringing the light on retail issues.
Usdaw's delegation of members, reps and officials are set to attend the annual Scottish Labour Conference, to be held in Glasgow over the weekend (Feb 21-23) where they will be highlighting the challenges facing retail especially record crime levels.
At the conference, the union will advocating for a “new deal for workers” to ensure that retail jobs are recognised as secure, well-paid careers, alongside sustained investment in skills training to help staff adapt to new technologies and automation.
Usdaw will also press for coordinated efforts across Scotland’s education and skills budgets, as well as lobbying Westminster for reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy to improve worker training opportunities.
The union will further demand specific action plans to combat retail crime and abuse, including greater support for frontline policing in town and city centres and improved incident reporting.
Additionally, Usdaw has been calling for consistent, long-term funding for local authorities, enabling them to invest in transport networks, high streets, and the wider local economy to support retail businesses and workers.
Expressing concern over challenges facing retail and high streets in Scotland, Tony Doonan – Usdaw regional secretary for Scotland, stated that Scottish Labour should take the challenges head on and continue with their commitment to tackle the issue.
Doonan said, “We are deeply concerned about the. Last year, several major national retailers permanently closed stores and cut jobs.
"The retail sector is the largest private sector employer in Scotland, providing 241,000 jobs and 9.5% of employment. Conference also acknowledges the role of the sector in paying its fair share towards public services and delivering high-quality employment.
“We welcome Labour’s commitment in Westminster to making business rates fairer, starting with reforms that level the playing field between the high street and online giants.
"As we move towards an election in Scotland, Usdaw calls on Scottish Labour to continue with their commitment to tackle the issue.”
Usdaw is UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. While most members work in the retail sector, the union also has many members in transport, distribution and food manufacturing.
This comes a month after independent retailers' appeal to the Scottish government to rethink its plans to exclude them from business rates relief support announced in last month’s Budget.
Finance secretary Shona Robison announced on December 4 that 40 per cent relief towards business rates bills would only be given to the hospitality sector in Scotland.
Mo Razzaq, the National President of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), said, " “The Scottish government appears to have the numbers in Parliament to ensure that its budget proceeds next month.
"However, we appeal to ministers to review their proposal that small shops are excluded from the 40 per cent rates relief the UK government is awarding. This is because small independent shops are more vulnerable to closure."
Panel discussion at the relaunch of the SAITG on 3 March 2025
