THE Miners’ Gala is special for incoming Usdaw general secretary Joanne Thomas — as she grew up in an ex-mining community in the Durham coalfield.

“The Gala is so significant — it’s the biggest trade union event in Europe,” says Thomas, who will become the first woman to lead the retail workers’ union on July 28, succeeding Paddy Lillis.

“It’s an opportunity for trade unionists to showcase what we’re all about, what we bring to workplaces and communities.

“It’s fantastic each year to see the banners, the people coming together and celebrating it.”

Thomas is enthusiastic to be taking the helm a year into a Labour government, after so many years of Conservative ones.

“Under the Conservatives we weren’t respected, we weren’t listened to. That restricted our ability to present our members’ opinions and their needs — what they wanted from government.

“Now we’ve got a seat at the table, a government that engages us and wants to know what our members’ problems are.

“There are occasions where we disagree certainly. But we’re talking to people that respect us, and that makes a difference, especially when forming legislation.

“For me, the Employment Rights Bill is absolutely monumental.”

There have been some criticisms over delays to the Bill, including concerns that a ban on fire-and-rehire may be watered down.

“There will always be pushback with big Bills like this. I want to continue the dialogue with government and influence the legislation as much as we possibly can, so we can get areas of concern dealt with.

“Everything we can do to press Labour to make as few concessions as possible [to opponents of the Bill] we have to, because this Bill is so important.

“The way it reforms the Low Pay Commission, for example” (so the commission must consider the cost of living when recommending minimum wage rates). “That’s so important for retail workers — it’s all about the pounds, shillings and pence in the end, isn’t it?

“People will be paid more, and as negotiators we then need to work on raising standards higher still, knowing in our negotiations with employers that a higher national living wage provides a higher threshold for us to build on.

“And if you’ve ever worked in retail you’ll know that full-time contracts are rare as hens’ teeth. So ending exploitative contracts is key — having a proper contract affects your access to mortgages, your ability to rent, loans, car finances … all of people’s outgoings. Fair contracts will make a massive difference.”

She is also determined to ensure the Bill maintains its commitment to day-one rights. “Protection against unfair dismissal is so important when something bad happens.

“There’s nothing worse than when someone rings you and they’ve been unfairly terminated, and you have to say ‘well you have a good case but you haven’t got the right to take it anywhere because you haven’t got the length of service’.”

Access to workplaces is also a priority for Thomas. Many retailers are hostile to trade unions, and she sees improved access rights as an opportunity to win many more recognition agreements, even if the Institute of Employment Rights has warned access rights in the Bill lack real enforcement provisions.

“Well, there’s lots of employers who currently don’t even want a conversation with us, and that will change.

“The opportunity for unions is monumental here. What’s union density in the private sector, 12.5 per cent? That’s crazy.

“We’ve got to work together as unions to increase density. That’s actually an issue in the public sector too now, but even more so in the private sector and we solely organise there.

“Discussions are already under way to give non-members access to the union. I’m really excited to start work on that. An organised workplace has higher rates of pay, better health and safety standards.”

The Employment Rights Bill is the key piece of legislation for Thomas, but she’s clear Labour has a much bigger job to do. Usdaw has repeatedly highlighted the death of the British high street with its Save Our Shops campaign.

It’s all connected, she stresses, since one reason the high street is in decline is because we’re a low-pay economy — that means fewer people can see shopping as a social activity, a half-day out that might involve meeting a friend for a coffee or lunch.

“We need a proper industrial strategy that includes a strategy for retail if we’re to save shops from the rise of online shopping.

“We’ve already presented government with proposals on a fairer deal for shops when it comes to the bricks and mortar, the business rates, so they have a more level playing field. That will encourage employers to come back to the high street.

“We need to sort out public transport, make sure that links in with high streets too because that will boost the economy. And parking. I live in Leeds. If you want to go to Leeds city centre and park there you can spend £20-25 on parking — people just can’t afford it.”

The decline of high streets is a vicious circle, she warns, with shuttered shops and cafes meaning people have less and less reason to shop there.

A strategy for the high street doesn’t just make economic sense for Thomas. “It’s good socially for people to be in the heart of communities, it brings people together and social interaction is important for people’s mental wellbeing.

“It’s so tragic to see once vibrant towns and cities in decline.” She is encouraged by the work of Labour’s elected mayors in rationalising public transport and offering opportunities for small businesses to come back.

The connection between Britain’s social and economic crises is clear too in the shocking rise in abuse of shopworkers, shoplifting and violence.

“It’s scandalous and unacceptable, the abuse our members have to put up with on a daily basis.

“The majority of shopworkers get verbally abused daily. The statistics are startling. Then there’s threats of violence and actual violence — nobody should have to go into work and face that, certainly not on a regular basis.

“What’s driven that is the cost-of-living crisis, the cuts to front-line services and to municipal services. People have nowhere to go, they turn to drink or drugs, and to crime to fund those things.

“We’ve always had it but it’s been different of late. The pandemic was horrendous. People were getting abused simply for trying to implement mandatory safety measures.

“We never thought it would rise on the pandemic levels but it has done.” Britain has been misgoverned, and the social crisis feeding crime and anti-social behaviour is part of that.

Thomas welcomes Labour measures aimed at crime, including the recruitment of 20,000 community support officers for the police, but stresses a wider turnaround for communities and high streets is needed to tackle the problem at its roots.

“First and foremost we’re about delivering higher rates of pay and better terms and conditions. But our members have lives outside of work. We’ve got to be talking about social housing, about the NHS, and unions are a vehicle to get workers’ voices heard on all those things.

“Paddy has left this union in a great place, we’re growing, and I’m ready to continue that great work — and to work with all the unions, getting out there, getting to the unorganised workplaces, so unions can be a powerhouse for change — loud and proud of what we do.”