employment – Page 21 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

TUC: Chancellor has a chance to prevent ‘devastation of mass employment’

As the Chancellor stands up to make his ‘summer statement’ today, families across the country will be facing up to the possibility of unemployment (writes the TUC’s KATE BELL):

Yesterday, Pret-a-Manger announced it would be closing 30 shops, with the loss of 1,000 jobs. Last week, to take just one example, Airbus announced the loss of up to 1,700 jobs in the UK. British Airways are ploughing ahead with cuts which could lead to 12,000 job cuts. And the list is getting longer by the day.

The Chancellor has a chance to prevent the devastation of mass unemployment leading to the situation this country saw in the 1980s – young people left on the scrap heap, lives ruined, and communities decimated. But he needs to act fast and decisively.

Here’s the TUC’s plan for decent jobs:

1. Introduce a real jobs guarantee – offering paid jobs for young people who face unemployment

We’ve heard that the Chancellor may invest in apprenticeships, or traineeships – unpaid work placements with some training attached. It’s not clear yet whether these will be voluntary, or how the Chancellor expects people to live while they’re undertaking these. The TUC has always opposed mandatory unpaid work placements. And unpaid work experience is no substitute for a real jobs guarantee.

We want the government to invest in supporting real jobs, paid at least the Real Living Wage, for young people facing the prospect of long-term unemployment. Government funding should support additional jobs in the public and private sector that support regional growth strategies, and provide real benefit, including helping to decarbonise the economy.

That jobs guarantee must go alongside a rapid redundancy response service and investment in jobcentres. And we desperately need an increase in social security payments to stop those who lose their jobs spiralling into debt.

2. Invest across the economy to create jobs

We know the country needs an infrastructure upgrade to help drive productivity, and urgent action to tackle the climate crisis. And after a decade of austerity, our public services are desperately overstretched.

Fixing these problems now can help create the jobs we need. Research for the TUC shows that an £85bn investment in green infrastructure could help create 1.24 million jobs in the next two years, including 500,000 jobs through building and retrofitting social housing, and almost 60,000 jobs in electrifying transport.

And we should support our public services by investing in jobs. There are over 100,000 vacancies in social care, and 100,000 more in the NHS – even before we deliver a better system. Local government saw 100,000 redundancies in the past decade, jobs that are needed now to deliver vital services and help tackle the pandemic.

3. Work with unions and business on new rescue plans for hard hit sectors

We’ve seen how the pandemic, and the social distancing measures it requires, has hit some types of business harder than others. Aviation and hospitality have been particularly badly affected. Government needs to come together with unions and businesses to design rescue packages for these sectors – including setting out how those plans can be used to deliver better and greener jobs.

The Job Retention Scheme has done valuable work throughout the crisis in protecting people’s jobs, and is now supporting many people to work part-time. Government should extend it beyond October for businesses that can show they have a viable future but need more time to get back on their feet.

4. Prioritise progress towards equality

We know unemployment is bad for everyone. But those who already face discrimination in the labour market often see their prospects held back even further. BME groups faced higher unemployment in the 2008-09 recession, and still have high unemployment rates.

Research shows that during upturns disabled people are the last to gain employment, and during downturns they are first to be made unemployed. With the childcare sector on the brink of collapse, women’s employment prospects face being put back a generation.

The Chancellor needs to prioritise progress towards equality when he sets out his plans. That means tackling the insecure work that leaves BME workers disproportionately having their hours cut or being let go. It means monitoring the impact of employment programmes on different groups.

And it means the Chancellor needs to protect those who can’t work due to the fact they are shielding or have caring responsibilities from being forced out of work by extending the job retention scheme.

Mass unemployment and a new wave of inequality aren’t inevitable. We can build back better. But the Chancellor needs to be bold and act fast.

Finance Ministers from the devolved administrations are urging the UK Government to ease the financial restrictions imposed on devolved governments so they can better respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

Ahead of the Chancellor’s Summer Statement, Kate Forbes, Rebecca Evans and Conor Murphy are calling for assurances that will give them the freedom to switch capital funding to day-to-day revenue and put an end to the arbitrary limits on borrowing. They are also looking for more clarity on details around the forthcoming Spending Review.

Kate Forbes, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance (above), said: “The powers we are seeking will enable the Scottish Government to respond to COVID-19 more effectively and reboot our economy. They are relatively limited powers, but would ease some of the immense pressures on our budget and give us more tools to kick-start our recovery.

“At the moment, any extra money spent bolstering services and supporting the economic recovery must be taken from other areas. That creates risks for our essential public services, jobs and businesses. I am therefore calling on the Chancellor to ease these rigid fiscal rules and give us the flexibility we need to properly address the monumental challenges our economy is facing.

“I also want to see greater ambition in the level of investment in our economy. Last week the Scottish Government set out a proposal for an £80 billion UK-wide stimulus package. What is needed at this time of crisis is bold and practical policies that will boost consumption, promote investment and protect jobs.”

Northern Ireland Finance Minister Conor Murphy said: “It is crucial that the devolved administrations are equipped to respond swiftly and effectively to the challenges arising from COVID-19.

“More financial flexibility can help us deal with these challenges and use our budgets to support public services, protect the vulnerable, and deliver an economic recovery.”

Welsh Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said: “Our response to the COVID-19 crisis has been hampered by UK imposed rules that limit our ability to get more resources to the frontline.

“There is no clear rationale for these rules, which undermine good budget management in Wales.

“The Welsh Local Government Association, Wales TUC, FSB Cymru and Institute for Fiscal Studies and, more recently, the Senedd’s Finance Committee, have all made the same calls for change.

“The crisis has made the issue urgent. It’s time for the UK Government to act and provide the flexibility we need to respond and invest in Wales’ recovery.”

Has your employer made it safe to return to work?

Employers up and down the country are planning to welcome back employees to the workplace, and they must bring in strict COVID-safe plans as lockdown measures ease.

But British workers should confirm with their employer the steps that are being taken to make it safe and compliant to return to work.

All UK businesses who ask their staff members to return to work have been informed that they need to undertake a risk assessment and put in place various measures to protect their staff from contracting the virus.

Employees need to feel safe, and depending on the specific industry, certain unions have claimed that employees can even refuse to go back to the office if precautions aren’t taken.

Health and safety experts at CE Safety have made it easier for Brits to understand what their employers should be doing to comply with new safety rules.

A spokesperson for CE Safety says: “There are countless sensible measures to take when it comes to a safe return to work.

“The Coronavirus guidelines and measures are fast-paced, so all employers and employees need to follow the latest developments. As it stands, if Brits can work from home, then they should continue to do so.

“But this could change by August. Retail, hospitality, service and leisure industries are reopening from 4th July, it’s important to look at what employees need to know ahead of a return to the ‘new normal’.

“It’s worth mentioning that Brits should not return to work if they have been advised by the Government to shield. This will apply only to those in receipt of a letter, who are in the extremely vulnerable category.”

Here is a need-to-know checklist when it comes to returning to work:

Has the employer carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment?

Sounds simple, but before reopening the office, employers should ensure the safety of the workplace by carrying out a risk assessment. This might result in reorganising the office layout to give employees more space between work stations and/or install sneeze guards between spaces. A phased return might also be an option to employers.

Check employer’s cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures

Employers should encourage staff to wash hands regularly, and provide hand sanitiser around the workplace as well as the washrooms. There also needs to be a schedule that allows frequent cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and objects that are touched regularly.

Clear use of toilets may sound too particular, but employers need to outline cleaning guidance for the toilets, as well as providing adequate hand drying facilities, either paper towels or hand dryers.

Ask the employer to clarify working from home stance

Employers have been advised by the UK government to take all reasonable steps to help people work from home.

Has there been internal discussing home working arrangements? Do employees have the correct equipment to allow effective working from home such as remote access work systems?

Employees who have family members that are at greater risk from COVID-19 will understandably be concerned about returning to work. Hence the need for employers to consider employees working work from home.

For employee physical and mental wellbeing, this is an important step for employers to help look after their staff. Mental health issues that can arise from periods of isolation, and employers need to allow the best possible working conditions for their staff.

What is there in place to ensure social distancing?

Where possible, social distance between colleagues should be maintained. Employers need to put up signs to remind workers and visitors of social distance guidance. Workstations should not be shared. Floor tape is a cost-effective way to visualise social distancing guidelines.

Employers may need to look at their processes too, and perhaps switch to visitors by appointment only, or do meetings via video service platform such as Zoom, or Google Hangouts.

What to do if British workers aren’t happy?

If you have raised concerns or requested clarification with your employer, but you don’t feel they have been addressed, you can consider whether to contact the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about your concerns. They are the Government body with responsibility for safety in the workplace and can take enforcement action against employers who are lacking.

Support for the ‘Left Behinds’

A Treasury Committee recommendation calling for more support for “Left behinds” who are not currently eligible for either of the Government’s Coronavirus support schemes for employees and the self-employed should be adopted without delay, say leading tax and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.

Robert Salter, a Director at the firm, said: “There are still too many people falling through the gaps, around one million getting no support whatsoever.

“Whilst credit should be given to the Government for having developed the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS), it was always clear that these schemes were designed for ‘simplicity’ and ‘administrative ease’ rather than for fairness.

“The Treasury Committee’s push to have the Government widen these schemes to those workers who were previously left behind should be welcomed by all those who appreciate fairness and justice in the tax and benefits systems.

He added: “The Committee recommends extending Government support to groups such as those employees who started (or were due to start), employment in March 2020 or afterwards, those workers who genuinely go from short-term engagement to short-term engagement (e.g. free contract workers), Personal Service Company directors who pay themselves via dividends rather than salary and those self-employed individuals who started self-employment in 2019/20 (or in some cases part way through the 2018/19 tax year).

“They also say that the Government should manage the risk of fraud with these cases, but that it is unlikely to present a problem in most of these situations.”

He added: “Established, freelance contractors who have been working for a number of employers on a contract-by-contract basis would usually have submitted tax returns in previous years. Similarly, established directors of Personal Service Companies would have a similar tax history and would have been filing tax returns to report their dividend income in previous years. As such, many of the ‘left behinds’ are, from a Revenue data and information perspective, in exactly the same position as other individuals already eligible for CJRS and SEISS support.”

Job retention scheme shows we’re stronger together, says Briggs

Lothian list Conservative MSP Miles Briggs has praised the UK Government’s job retention scheme which has protected over 100,000 jobs in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

City of Edinburgh		58,400
West Lothian		21,700
East Lothian	12,500
Midlothian	11,200
Total	103,800

He says the UK Government’s job retention scheme is an excellent example of how Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom are stronger together.

The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented national and global crisis which the Scottish and UK government have responded to together.

The UK Government has provided further support to businesses and individuals in Scotland through the self-employed scheme, bounce back loans, VAT referrals and increases in welfare support such as Universal Credit, as well as an extra £3.8 billion in support through Barnett Consequential funding.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, commented: “Lockdown in response to the outbreak of Covid-19 has been challenging for businesses throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.

“The uncertainty caused by this pandemic has put tens of thousands of jobs at risk, which the job retention scheme has managed to make more secure.

“It is remarkable that the UK government has been able to protect so many jobs during this pandemic.

“We must now focus on getting the economy moving again so that Edinburgh and the Lothians can start recovering from the Covid-19 outbreak. I have called on SNP Ministers to establish a Recovery Taskforce for Edinburgh and the Lothians.”

Young workers face highest risk of unemployment

UK is on the brink of a surge in youth unemployment, warns TUC
Government must introduce a job guarantee scheme to prevent the misery of long-term unemployment

New analysis published today by the TUC shows that young workers (aged 25 and under) face the highest risk of unemployment due to the coronavirus crisis.

The analysis compares unemployment risk related to the coronavirus crisis across industrial sectors. And it looks at the age profile of workers in sectors with highest risk.

Sectors at highest risk

Workers in all sectors of the economy face unemployment risks due to the coronavirus crisis and the recession that is expected to follow.

However, two sectors are at much higher risk of losing jobs compared to others: ‘accommodation and food’ and ‘arts, entertainment and recreation’.

Our analysis uses three measures to assess risk: (1) the rate of furloughed workers, (2) the proportion of businesses that have paused or cancelled trading, and (3) the proportion of businesses with turnover falling more than 50%.

These two sectors not only rate the highest for all three measures, they are also in a league of their own, with rates far exceeding the construction sector in third place.

Sector	Workforce furloughed	Businesses pausing trading	Businesses with turnover falling more than 50%
Accommodation and food	83%	74%	62%
Arts, entertainment and recreation	73%	75%	63%
Construction industries	41%	19%	40%
Average for all industries	28%	18%	26%

NB – this table shows selected data from the analysis. For a full table covering all sectors, see the research note.

Young workers

The analysis suggests that, without urgent action, the UK may be on the brink of a surge in youth unemployment.

Of 4,352,000 UK workers aged 25 and under, 890,000 work in either accommodation and food, or arts, entertainment and recreation.
It means that 20% of workers aged 25 and under work in these two sectors, compared to 6% for workers older than 25.
Workers aged 25 and under are therefore three times more likely to work in one of the two sectors where jobs are at greatest risk.

Women workers aged 2 5 and under face the greatest risk of all. They are six times more likely than male workers over 25 to work in the highest risk sector, accommodation and food.

In addition to lay-offs, recessions make it harder for young people seeking to enter the labour market for the first time, as employers hire less. This part explains why youth unemployment tends to be much higher than for other workers following a recession.

UK job vacancies have already fallen 25% compared to this time last year. And the sector with the biggest fall is accommodation and food (42%).

Job guarantee scheme

Research shows that prolonged unemployment when young has negative impacts on later working life. This includes a greater likelihood of further periods of unemployment and work with lower pay.

The TUC is calling for a job guarantee scheme to stop those without work becoming long-term unemployed, with early access to the scheme for young workers.

It would resemble the future jobs fund, which was part of the national recovery plan following the recession in 2008 caused by the private banking crisis. A government evaluation found that, two years after starting the programme, participants were 27% more likely to be in unsubsidised work.

Key features of the TUC’s proposed jobs guarantee scheme:

Supports additional jobs that would not otherwise be created by employers
Enables work that benefits the UK, such as helping to decarbonise the economy
Offers secure contracts of at least six months
Pays at least the real living wage
Gives training opportunities to help people move into longer-term work
Provides guaranteed access to trade union representation

Alongside the job guarantee scheme, the TUC says that government must work with businesses and unions to protect as many jobs as possible. This should include extending the job retention scheme for employers who cannot easily adapt to social distancing.

And ministers should form a national recovery council alongside unions and employers, to design and deliver a recovery plan that protects and creates decent jobs.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We know it’s a tough road ahead. But the more people there are in work, the faster we can work our way out of recession.

“Our national recovery plan must be centred on jobs – both protecting those we have and creating more. We need more good jobs in social care, in the green tech that our future depends on, in UK start-ups and in a revitalised manufacturing sector.

“Some industries may need help for longer through the job retention scheme so they can retain staff while they adapt to new safety standards.

“And for those who lose their jobs, the government must set up a job guarantee scheme. Young people in particular can’t be left to the misery of long-term unemployment. And it’s the best value option for the treasury.

“Making sure everyone has a decent job on a fair wage is how to recover faster and build back better.”

Scottish Government issues sector guidance for easing lockdown

Support to return to work safely

New guidance has been published for retailers and manufacturers to consider how people can safely return to work, with updated guidance for construction to publish later this week.

The documents, which are among the first for a number of specific sectors, have been developed in consultation with business, trades unions and regulators. It will provide advice on essential equipment and services needed to create the conditions for safer workplaces.

Companies are expected to undertake a robust risk management approach that has been developed and maintained through joint working with employees. This will offer assurances to workers when the time is right to return to work.

Working to the phased approach in the route map on easing lockdown published last week, it details the steps required for businesses, acknowledging that some will face more complications when reopening than others, while also considering the impact on employees.

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Many businesses have been adapting to new ways of working with a significant proportion of staff working from home.

“While many people will continue with this, there are areas where it is not possible. We are listening to how businesses have made changes and in discussion with them to see how these changes can be safely applied to allow reopening.

“We’ve been working in partnership with industry, trades unions and regulators in around 14 sectors and will publish more sector-specific guidance over the next few weeks.

“However, I want to be clear that the journey doesn’t end once the guidance is published. This is just the starting point and these documents will continually evolve, where required, based on public health evidence and feedback from industry and trade unions.

“Guidance on its own, will not create safe working environments. We continue to work closely with the key enforcement agencies – the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities and Police Scotland – to ensure a joined up approach to the enforcement and monitoring of workplace public health measures.

“We are already supporting businesses through our unique package of support totalling £2.38 billion which reflects the specific needs of our economy. Our recovery will be an opportunity to renew our economy and build our resilience and future prosperity.”

Coronavirus (COVID-19): manufacturing sector guidance

Coronavirus (COVID-19): retail sector guidance

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for customers

COVID-19: Scotland’s route map for transitioning through and out of the crisis

Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer work places statement – Joint statement by the Scottish Government, Police Scotland, Health and Safety Executive and local authorities on safe workplaces.

Guides from the Health and Safety Executive provide useful sources of information:

‘A Better Recovery’: TUC plan to get Britain back on road to a healthy economy

The TUC has set out how the UK can recover from the coronavirus economic crisis, stop the despair of mass unemployment and set working families on a path to prosperity.

Alongside the report, the TUC publishes analysis showing that the fastest recoveries from economic crises in UK history were based on investment for growth, not cuts to services, deregulation and tax breaks for millionaires and bosses.

75 years on from VE Day, the UK should emulate the post-war recovery

TUC analysis shows that the decade of investment for growth (1947-57) that followed World WarTwo achieved an average growth rate of 3.3% But the decade of cuts (2009-19) that followed the bankers’ crisis achieved average growth of just 1.9%.

These examples are part of a wider pattern for the UK’s responses to economic crises over the last century. The UK recovers better and faster when the approach is investment for growth, prioritising workers’ wages, strong public services, a decent safety net and building the capacity of both private and public sectors.

Approaches based on cuts to spending only serve to hold back the whole economy. This can be seen not only during 2009-2019, but also during 1921-31, when severe cuts meant growth averaged just1.9%.

In both 1921-1931 and 2009-2019, slow growth led to higher national debt. By contrast, periods of recovery based on investment for growth have reduced national debt, because they are successful at generating broad growth and making the country wealthier.

A plan to get Britain growing out of the crisis – and stop mass unemployment

The pandemic alone did not cause this economic crisis. It was made worse by a decade of austerity and failure to strengthen the UK’s economy. Choosing the wrong approach to recovery now risks embedding low growth, long-term unemployment and all the social ills that go alongside.

An investment for growth approach means taking action on six key areas:

Decent work and a new way of doing business: New business models based on fairer employment relationships. A fairer share for workers of the wealth they create, with a higher minimum wage and new collective bargaining rights.

Sustainable industry: Economic stimulus for a just transition to net zero carbon. Rebuilding the UK’s industrial capacity with modern tech and training in new skills.

A real safety net: Reforms to social security to provide help faster and prevent poverty. A job guarantee scheme so everyone can work and long-term unemployment does not take hold.

Rebuilding public services: Bringing our public services back to full strength, with decent pay for those who looked after us in the crisis, and a new focus on good jobs and direct employment in social care.

Equality at work: Specific actions to make sure women, disabled people and BME groups do not suffer disproportionately from the impact of the coronavirus recession.

International solidarity: New international rules must prioritise decent jobs and public services for all.

The evidence from the post-war recovery is that this investment for growth recovery plan can pay for itself. Millions of working families with higher disposable income create the economic demand needed for strong growth and healthy public finances. Stronger public services and an effective safety net will support people to start and grow businesses, and will better protect against a future pandemic.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The UK’s weak economy and ten years of cuts left our country unprepared for coronavirus. Only the dedication of millions of individual workers kept our country going.

“Let’s learn the lesson. Together, we can work our way safely out of this recession. Let’s make sure everyone has a decent job, with fair pay and security for their family. Let’s thank our key workers with the pay rise they have earned. And let’s not consign millions of our fellow citizens to the despair of unemployment.

“Today the TUC publishes our plan for recovery. At its heart is good jobs. Jobs in a reborn UK manufacturing sector. Jobs in a social care sector finally getting some respect. Jobs in the green tech of the future. Let’s rebuild our country through hard work, determination and investment in all our futures – not cuts to spending, deregulation and tax breaks for millionaires and bosses.”

She added: “Seventy-five years ago, Britain was bloodied, battered – and broke. Yet after the war Britain’s economy grew faster than ever before. We did it not by pay freezes and cuts, but making the priority decent jobs for everyone, new homes, infrastructure and a new national health service.

“So let’s channel the spirit of 1945. Coronavirus doesn’t have to equal mass unemployment and a poorer, meaner country. We can do what the post-war generation did: grow our way out of this crisis and build a better life for everyone.”

TUC Report ‘A Better Recovery’

Five Million Workers Uncertain of Post-Covid Role

• A quarter (24%) of the UK workforce are learning new skills to mitigate against coronavirus uncertainty
• Concerns for job security as 5 million expect the pandemic to dramatically change their role
• Younger employees are spearheading the distance learning boom, but want more direction from employers in bid to ensure their skills become valued assets
• Course enrolments during lockdown on The Open University’s OpenLearn platform have exceeded 950,000
• OU is urging organisations to harness this appetite for learning to adapt for the future and retain valuable talent

Covid-19 is expected to significantly change the skills required for as many as 5 million job roles across the UK, driving a surge in employees seeking out distance learning opportunities, according to The Open University.

With coronavirus uncertainty affecting half (49%) of current job roles across the UK, a quarter (24%) of employees have taken on additional learning opportunities to boost their employability and protect the value of their skills.

The results suggest that younger employees are particularly fearful that their skills could become obsolete. Over a third (39%) of 18-34 year-olds agreed that they would put their own money towards development opportunities if it made them more employable.

However, for all the hunger for professional development, a quarter of employees (23%) admitted that they would like to have more direction from their employers when it comes to learning new skills, with younger team members again (38%) the most keen to have steer from their leaders on how to remain employable post-coronavirus.

OpenLearn homepage screengrab

Data from one of the UK’s largest free learning sites, The Open University’s OpenLearn, backs up the findings. The site has logged over 950,000 course enrolments during lockdown, taking it beyond the 3.25 million mark since its launch. Specialist work-focused courses such as Leadership and Followership have proved particularly popular, in addition to modules designed to boost fundamental professional skills such as workplace communication.

In April, the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland launched a portal with the support of the OU in Scotland in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support furloughed workers. The site on www.myworldofwork.co.uk was launched on 27 April by the First Minister in her daily televised COVID-19 briefing.

Across the board workers are investing in ever-green capabilities that will help them retain value to their employers in the long-term, as well as skills that will help them manage the current digital landscape. The majority of those who have taken on additional learning opportunities during lockdown have focused on developing managerial skills (51%), whilst just under a quarter (23%) have prioritised digital skills such as learning how to use new software.

While the OU welcomes this rise in independent study, the university is urging employers to make the most of the appetite for new skills development and utilise the advantages of online learning for remote employees, to cultivate the skills they are likely to require in the years to come.

Susan Stewart, Director of The Open University in Scotland said: “With the UK approaching a recession and the economic uncertainty that this will bring – the time to invest in skills is now.

“The world of work is changing and it’s clear that employees are recognising this and prioritising the development of their own skill sets to prepare for the ‘new normal’.

“With OpenLearn, employees can enrol on free courses that reward them with certificates and digital badges, helping them signpost their development and the value of their skills to their employers.

“Employees will still need direction from their employer if they are to acquire the new skills needed for post-lockdown business. Employers must embrace lifelong learning as a necessity for growth and ensure that teams stay engaged, potential skills gaps are tackled proactively and the associated risk of losing valuable talent is minimised.”

Scotland Secretary: Save Our Strawberries!

The UK Government and Prince of Wales have urged students and furloughed workers to apply for seasonal farm work.

As part of efforts to support British farmers and growers to recruit workers throughout the harvest period, the UK Government launched the Pick for Britain website in partnership with industry to help match up available opportunities with local jobseekers.

Scotland Secretary Alister Jack said: “Many of Scotland’s farms, in particular our soft fruit growers, rely on seasonal labour. As we near peak harvest time I urge jobseekers to sign up for this crucial work at the Pick for Britain website or the GOV.UK Find a job platform.

“I am in no doubt British workers and students will seize the opportunity to feed the UK and help the economy in these most challenging of times. Together, the UK Government, industry and workers will save the Scottish strawberry and our other delicious produce.”

The UK Government has already confirmed that those who have been furloughed from their jobs due to the coronavirus and who are contractually allowed to work for another employer can take on this seasonal work while continuing to receive 80% of their salary from the government.

Interested parties should continue to check the Pick for Britain website regularly as it will continue to be updated with new opportunities as the demand for fruit and vegetable pickers grows over the coming months.

British workers will continue to have the opportunity to make some extra money and help to feed the nation right up until the autumn months.

Industry best practice guidance is available for growers to help ensure workers are safe and protected in their roles during the pandemic.

Edinburgh MSP raises concerns over UK-wide companies encouraging return to work

An SNP MSP has urged businesses in Scotland not to call staff back to work early while the coronavirus lockdown remains in place.

Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, raised concerns that some organisations which operate in Scotland are now encouraging employees to return to work, contrary to official Scottish Government advice.

The UK government is asking those who cannot work from home in England to start returning to the workplace. But the First Minister said she was “not yet encouraging more people to go back to work” in Scotland so that we can continue to protect our NHS and save lives.

Scottish businesses will be able to reopen as soon as they can safely do so, and the Scottish Government is working with employers and trade unions to set out how staff could return to work safely and as soon as possible.

Gordon MacDonald MSP said: “The Scottish Government has been clear and consistent in its advice to stay at home except for essential purposes, and is not yet encouraging people to go back to work so that we can protect our NHS and save lives.

“However, it is concerning that some UK-wide companies, which have sites and employees based in Scotland, appear to be encouraging employees to return to work.

“It’s absolutely vital that the UK Government makes it clear that companies should following official guidelines from the devolved administrations, now that slight variations between Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England exist.

“We still have a long way to go to overcome this crisis. I would ask that all employers in Edinburgh and across Scotland follow Scottish government guidance, and I am very grateful that the vast majority of employers have been doing so throughout this pandemic.”