It has taken a long time but John Lewis has finally signed a recognition agreement with shop workers union USDAW.
John Lewis works on a partnership model where all employees are owners of the business. During the first New Labour period this was sometimes touted as an alternative to trade unionism. However the partnership model does not stop job losses and store closures where those impacted (on the shop floor not the board room) have limited ability to promote counter proposals.
The recognition comes with changes in the law from the Employment Relations Act which provides for employers to give unions access. John Lewis has gone further with a recognition agreement although this does not at the moment include pay and terms and conditions.
It may send a signal to another well known retailer which does not recognise unions front of house- Marks and Spencer
Guardian report
On Wednesday, the partnership announced it had signed its first company-wide union recognition deal. The collective agreement with Usdaw, the shopworkers’ union, comes ahead of new rights of union access in workplaces that come into force at the end of this month.
Joanne Thomas, the general secretary of Usdaw, said: “Usdaw already has members working within the business and this agreement will strengthen that presence and help us in supporting and representing members across the partnership. We now look forward to growing our membership and influence within the partnership and to working with the partnership’s management on finalising the details of how the agreement will work in practice.”
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