Leading retail workers activist to retire after long stint

Usdaw General Secretary Paddy Lillis Announces Retirement

Leading retail trade union Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis is set to retire in July after serving seven years in the role.

Lillis has been a full-time official at Usdaw for over 35 years. He had previously held the post of deputy general secretary for 14 years.

In his time as General Secretary, Lillis has overseen the launch of a number of high-profile Usdaw campaigns, including a Retail Recovery Plan and the New Deal for Workers.

He has worked with retailers and employers’ groups, such as the British Retail Consortium, to highlight the issues facing the retail sector, and led campaigns calling for clear government action.

Lillis has also driven forward the Union’s Freedom From Fear campaign, which delivered new legal protections for shop workers in Scotland, with England, Wales and Northern Ireland set to follow suit.

He serves on the TUC Executive Committee and TUC General Council, and he is a member of the TUC Anti-Racism Taskforce. He has also introduced a programme of work within Usdaw to improve representation of Black members at all levels in the Union.

Speaking about his retirement, Lillis said, "It has been a real privilege to serve Usdaw over the years and I feel proud of what we have achieved together.

"My time as General Secretary has brought many challenges, but I will be retiring with the Union in very good shape financially and with growing membership.

“The Union has campaigned tirelessly for many years for increased protection for retail workers and stronger rights at work, and I will be leaving at a time when the Labour Government will be delivering on some of our campaigns.”

Dave McCrossen, Deputy General Secretary, has also announced he will be retiring in July after seven years in the role. Dave has been a full-time official for over 35 years.

A former employee of the Co-operative Retail Society, McCrossen started his Usdaw career when he became an Area Organiser in 1989.

16 years later he was promoted to Deputy Divisional Officer. Working closely with Lillis, he was responsible for developing the organising agenda within the Division and seeing it grow from 39,000 members to more than 65,000.

In 2014, he was successful in securing the position of Divisional Officer.