Usdaw backs call for retailers to help ‘devastated’ Farepak families
Retail union Usdaw is backing Trade Minister Ian McCartney’s call for Britain’s retailers to help thousands of families facing a bleak festive season after Christmas hamper company Farepak went bust last week.
USDAW believes many of its members will have lost money when the company went under and as low paid workers have little chance of recouping their losses leaving many families having very little food on the table for their Christmas dinner.
“Our experience is that Britain’s retailers have shown time and again they are committed to supporting those facing hardship in their local communities so we hope they will help our members who face a grim Christmas,” says Usdaw general secretary John Hannett. “Ian McCartney is right to point out that there is no legal obligation to help these families who have been left devastated after losing considerable sums of money they can ill afford. But we hope retailers will be able to offer some help to hard working people who paid their money in good faith and seem to have lost everything.
“It is ironic that Farepak customers paid for their hampers weekly to avoid getting into debt and yet are still left with nothing to put on the table through no fault of their own. So we hope the meeting between Ian McCartney and the retailers will agree proposals to assist families who have been punished for being thrifty.”
