Motion no: 27
ICTU Biennial Delegate Conference expresses its concern over the crisis on the high street and in the wider retail sector.
Over the past 12 months, the retail sector has been hit by more shop closures than ever and consumer confidence has still not fully recovered from the impact of the financial crisis, as customers continue to cut back on discretionary spending. These factors are compounded as traditional brick-and-mortar shops are facing increasing competition from online retailers.
Irish retail is the country’s largest industry and private sector employer, with 280,000 jobs accounting for 14% of total employment. In Northern Ireland, the retail sector provides a living to around 70,000 people.
Research revealed staggering job losses across the high street in Ireland in 2018, with over 20,000 jobs axed in the first three months of the year.
Conference believes that retail workers have long been undervalued as contributors to the economies of the Republic and Northern Ireland and action needs to be taken to safeguard the future of retail jobs.
There is a clear link between instability on the high street and the reduction in retail employment.
Conference is clear that retail is a crucial part of the economies of both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and therefore calls upon the ICTU to campaign for:
• Urgent investigation and action from the respective Governments to develop an industrial strategy for retail, with focus on levelling the playing field for the high street and online retailers.
• Local governance to introduce measures focussed on increasing footfall in town centres.
• A robust strategy on how to deal with the short and long-term impact of automation on key sectors such as retail. This must include significant investment in skills for retail workers to help tackle the challenges of automation.
