TACKLING SOCIAL INEQUALITY AND PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY
Award winning charity, Street Soccer has today announced the launch of Kitback, a new charitable social enterprise designed to combine a collective love of football with social impact through the sale of pre-loved, upcycled football shirts.
All proceeds from the initiative will go towards supporting the life-changing work that Street Soccer addresses including homelessness, mental health, social exclusion, problem substance use and poverty.
Launching across the UK, Kitback will collect pre-loved football shirts from donors at dedicated drop-off points or by post and upcycle them in preparation for resale.
All shirts from teams, leagues, and countries across the globe are welcomed, offering a wide range of options for like-minded football enthusiasts to choose from. Each purchase made through Kitback gives fans a chance to own a piece of football history while contributing to greater causes.
Supporting the launch, football clubs, players and foundations are getting involved. Fulham FC Foundation have become the first professional club to donate to Kitback with others set to follow suit in the coming weeks and months.
As well as addressing key societal issues, the initiative also promotes environmental benefits by reducing waste and the demand for new clothing production, lowering football fans’ environmental footprint and keeping the circular economy moving.
As Kitback grows, another significant impact the social enterprise will have is to create jobs and volunteering opportunities for Street Soccer players and the wider community, helping to develop skills and experience that can be carried forward into the wider employment environment.
David Duke MBE, Social Entrepreneur & Founder of Street Soccer Scotland, expressed his enthusiasm for the new initiative:“Kitback is more than just a campaign; it’s a movement that brings together our shared passion for football and our collective commitment to helping our local communities.
“Football has a unique ability to unite people behind social causes and through Kitback, supporters can make a real difference. By donating your pre-loved football shirts and buying from Kitback when adding a new kit to your collection, you’re not only reducing environmental waste but also helping to empower and enrich people’s lives through everything we do at Street Soccer.”
Football fans, players and clubs are encouraged to come together with businesses and organisations to join the Kitback movement by donating and purchasing shirts, spreading the word, facilitating drop-off points and taking part in kit donation days during the year. Let’s change the world, one football shirt at a time!
Edinburgh residents are being urged to check their cost-of-living support to claim everything they are entitled to.
With 80,000 people living in poverty in Edinburgh – including close to a quarter of all children – tackling inequality and preventing poverty remains one of the biggest challenges facing the capital.
As it’s revealed that households could be owed up to £80 million in unclaimed benefits in Edinburgh, the council has rolled out two new self-help tools to make it easier for people to check what they’re owed.
A DIY benefits calculator, Entitled To, and a one-stop-shop for other forms of financial support, Lightning Reach, have been made available online.
A campaign has been launched to highlight these tools, urging residents not to leave their household budgets to chance.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said:“It’s a worrying time for lots of people who are struggling with rising costs and we want to make sure that every household is claiming all the benefits they are entitled to. If you go online, you’ll find our DIY benefits calculator which makes it straightforward to check what you might be owed, so that you can then apply for support.
“Our efforts to tackle poverty in Edinburgh have put almost £24 million into the pockets of those who need it most, but around £80 million in benefits remains unclaimed. It’s my hope that this campaign will help to challenge the barriers – stigma, complexity and lack of awareness – that prevent people from accessing the support they should be getting.
“I urge everyone to check their cost-of-living support and to get in touch for more advice or support as needed.”
Linda’s story
Linda, 59, has been a full-time-carer for her brother since their mother passed away almost 10 years ago.
She said: “I worked from the age of 17 and in my late 20’s I bought my own home and a car. But in 2015, my mother suddenly became unwell. She spent six months in intensive care on a ventilator and then passed away.
“I very suddenly became a full time carer for my brother, who has additional support needs. I had to stop working and sell my house to go live with him and my life changed completely.
I went from ‘having it all’ – a job, a house, holidays and savings – to having next to nothing. The stigma associated with having to ask for help and being judged for having to rely on benefits has probably been the hardest part.
“I wish I had sought help earlier than I did. I wish I had set my pride and feelings of shame aside and realised that asking for help is not a bad thing. When life events happen that turn your world upside down, there is help available. The hardest part is knowing where to look to find that help – it can be very challenging – and accepting that there is no stigma in asking.”
Progress to End Poverty in Edinburgh
This July will mark the mid-point between the publication of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission’s final report and the city’s target to end poverty by 2030.
Linda (as above) is a member of End Poverty Edinburgh. Speaking about this experience, she said: “By being part of End Poverty Edinburgh, I have had the opportunity to attend and speak at various meetings and events to raise awareness of the issues which those living in poverty have to face.
“We work closely with the council and others to improve customer experiences when seeking advice and help.
“We try to promote the help that is available which a lot of people aren’t aware of. Being part of this group has given me back a feeling of self worth.”
So far, positive collaboration on a range of initiatives between the council and partners has led to:
• Increasing access to grants and welfare advice by 20% over the last year
• Helping residents to receive almost £24 million in previously unclaimed benefits
• Supporting 5,000 people into work or learning (a 19% increase on the previous year)
• Driving down bills for 900 homes thanks to new energy efficiency measures
• Securing savings worth £206k for tenants through Energy Advice Support (an average of £428 per household)
• Helping to prevent homelessness for 461 households
• Over 9,000 free school meal payments and nearly 8,400 clothing grant awards
• Supporting 95% of all pupils to reach positive destinations after school
• Encouraging payment of the living wage (up 80 in a year to 720 accredited employers)
• Agreeing Council contracts committed to paying the real Living Wage (96% of suppliers, up 14%)
• Introducing a new Regenerative Futures Fund, a third sector led programme bringing £15m of new investment.
Last week councillors agreed to redirect all available council-owned housing stock towards people experiencing homelessness.
New local authority lets will be suspended in all but a few cases as the city council tries to address an increasingly worsening homelessness crisis in the capital.
First Minister John Swinney will convene a meeting to examine the resilience of Scotland’s democracy.
Political, faith and community leaders will be brought together to assess the robustness of Scotland’s democratic system by examining root causes that might undermine shared values – now and in the future.
The gathering will be held on Wednesday (23 April) when the First Minister hopes to find agreement on a set of principles that can strengthen and protect the country’s democratic foundations.
The discussion will be centred on four key themes, each moderated by a civic leader:
Combating inequality and discrimination.
Tackling disinformation and ensuring a trusted media environment.
Enhancing trust in politics and boosting the accountability of political leaders and democratic institutions.
Strengthening vigilance to electoral interference and encouraging more active democratic participation.
The First Minister said: “Government has a clear role to play in protecting the health of our democracy.
“Across the world, we can see democratic systems under pressure, with fundamental principles being challenged and, in some cases, actively undermined. Scotland is not immune, so we must ensure we are prepared.
“As First Minister, I want to bring people together to help shape our response to these threats, and make sure we work together to protect and strengthen the democratic values that underpin who we are as Scots.
“Bringing together political, faith and community leaders will enable a discussion about key issues such as tackling misinformation, strengthening trust in politics, combating electoral interference, and ensuring Scotland’s democracy delivers equality.
“It will provide the initial foundation that will ensure Scotland has united leadership on values and principles that can help guide us in this age of uncertainty.”
The Conservatives say they will not be attending the session, saying the meeting is nothing more than a talking shop. Reform UK, who do not currently have any Holyrood MSPs, have not been invited to participate in the discussion.
Councillors have agreed to invest £100,000 towards the Regenerative Futures Fund (RFF), a new multi-million-pound initiative to make Edinburgh a fairer place to live.
Acting on the Capital’s pledge to take all the actions necessary to eradicate poverty in Edinburgh, the Council’s support will help kickstart an ambitious £5m to £10m fundraising plan.
With every £1 contributed by the Council, the Regenerative Futures Fund expects to leverage £5 to £10 from other sources of funding, significantly boosting the support available for community projects across the Capital.
The money will be used to support between 10 to 15 community organisations over the next decade, providing them with stable, long-term funding of up to £100,000 per year to create sustainable solutions that will address the root causes of poverty and inequality in Edinburgh.
It also builds on commitments made by the Council in February as part of its budget-setting exercise to prioritise poverty fighting projects, including £500,000 towards child poverty reduction, £100,000 for a Youth and Community Welfare Transition Fund, £25,000 to support the Big Hoose project which helps families experiencing hardship with household items, alongside close to £3m towards the city’s homelessness spend.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m delighted that we’ve had support from Councillors to make this investment into the future fairness of our city.
“Back in 2020 Edinburgh became the first UK city to set a target date to end poverty and we remain committed to doing everything we can. We know that this is not an easy task but we must be ambitious and drive the change that is so greatly needed.
“The creation of the RFF not only directly responds to our poverty fighting goals, it answers the calls we heard loud and clear from the Edinburgh Poverty Commission: we need a city-wide partnership fund to help us end poverty together.
“Today’s decision is a promise to work hand-in-hand with those who understand poverty firsthand, ensuring that their voices help us towards Edinburgh’s solutions.”
Leah Black, Head of Regenerative Futures Fund, Foundation Scotland said:This is a significant step towards creating a more equitable and sustainable Edinburgh.
The Regenerative Futures Fund is driven by the principle of shifting decision-making power to those most impacted by poverty, allowing communities to lead initiatives based on their own experiences and insights.
“We’ve spent close to two years designing a scheme co-created by a diverse range of people including those with lived experience of poverty and I’m excited to see how it will empower our communities to effect real change in the lives of those living in poverty.”
An annual progress report on the program will be provided to the Policy and Sustainability Committee in Autumn 2025.
Despite leaving North Edinburgh for the bright lights in London when she was only 17, Linda never forgot where she came from and was very proud of North Edinburgh , its people and the community’s long history of fighting injustice (writes LYNN McCABE).
She felt very strongly about inequality and social justice and although she had a comfortable life and could have spent her retirement years with her feet up, she chose to get involved in her old community and do what she could to try to improve things.
She was passionate about education and was a great advocate for lifelong learning and signed up for a variety of courses which covered some of the topics she was interested in including Scottish history, politics, the Scots language and the arts. Even when she wasn’t attending a class, she was always researching something and was keen to share her learning with others.
She joined the Power to the People group in 2012, a new project developed by local activists who wanted to study the history of protest in Scotland through the arts. It was a perfect fit for Linda with her passion for politics, Scottish history and the arts.
The class ran for a number of years and brought together people who were new to activism as well as people who had been involved in community politics and the trade unions.
Linda was really interested in listening to everyone’s views but was more than capable of holding her own during the many heated debates that took place each week!
Through the years, the focus of the class moved from studying the history of protest to actually taking part in protests! Members of the Power to the People group got involved in many local issues including cuts to local services and the campaign to stop the eviction of local families from their homes.
Linda was at the heart of these protests helping to design placards and banners and was actively involved in a sit-in at the local housing office and a protest that ended up taking over Ruth Davidson’s constituency office. She also took part in numerous protests outside the city chambers every year in response to proposals to cut vital local services.
Having exhausted the subject of the history of protest in Scotland over a 2 year period, Linda and her class mates from the Power to the People group decided it was time to undertake another research project where the focus was closer to home.
This project was going to focus on North Edinburgh’s history and would cover some of the big industrial, housing and political changes in the area over the last century. It turned out that there was too many interesting things which they felt could not be missed out so the history timeline began with the Roman encampment in Cramond!
The information the group unearthed was fascinating and highlighted how central North Edinburgh was to Scotland’s history.
On the completion of this research, Linda and a few other folk from the group decided their next priority would be to promote North Edinburgh’s hidden history and over a number of years they developed heritage walks, a history hub down at Madelvic and led a successful campaign to protect and restore the Granton Castle Walled Garden.
Linda remained actively involved in all these projects even as her health deteriorated and was instrumental in helping to preserve the area’s cultural heritage.
Another passion of Linda’s was arts and culture. She felt strongly about the need for the arts to be accessible to everyone. She was a regular visitor at the city’s art galleries and kept her eye out for new exhibitions and cultural events which were heading to Edinburgh.
She was quick to share this information with all the groups and projects she was connected with which ensured that local folk from didn’t miss out.
Linda was very good with her hands and was one of the stitchers involved in creating the Prestonpans tapestry, The Diaspora Tapestry for the Homecoming and the Great Tapestry of Scotland.
She almost succeeded in convincing her friends from North Edinburgh to embark on a new project called the Great Tapestry of North Edinburgh which was going to cover key historical events and famous people associated with North Edinburgh. Everyone was really excited about the idea of this project, until they realised that they were going to have to be involved in doing the stitching!
Despite a really positive meeting with Andrew Crummy who had designed the other tapestries, the consensus amongst the group was that it was a good idea but none of them were likely to be alive to see the tapestry completed so sadly that project didn’t come to pass!
Another passion of Linda’s was womens’ rights and so on Wednesday afternoons she would catch up with her pals from the Women’s International Group (WIG) who ran a programme of informal learning opportunities for local women.
The group also organised numerous events including womens’ health and well-being days, hustings, and public meetings on local issues and made history when they became the first singing deputation at a full council meeting.
Being local women, the Women’s International Group were well aware of all the strong North Edinburgh women who had came before them and made a point of celebrating their achievements and the achievements of inspirational women from around the world at their annual international womens day events.
Linda was always at the heart of these gatherings and did presentations, took her turn at chairing the event, read poetry but was equally happy to do the register or make the tea and coffee.
Linda’s passion for her community continued through the last few years of her life. She would regularly email me funding information or links to materials which she thought would be useful.
Despite her health issues, she remained interested in what was happening in North Edinburgh and regularly shared words of support and encouragement to the friends she had made in the community over the years.
Linda was most definitely a North Edinburgh ‘wummin’ through and through and will be missed by all who knew her.
Cottrell-Boyce pledges to address ‘invisible privilege and inequality’ within books and reading
Announces summit plans to ‘make people with power properly listen and take action’
Marks 25th anniversary of role as foremost representative of children’s literature
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the multi award-winning author and screenwriter, has been crowned the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024 – 2026.
Cottrell-Boyce was presented with the bespoke silver Laureate medal by outgoing Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, at a ceremony held at Howard Assembly Room, Leeds.
For 25 years, the Waterstones Children’s Laureate has been the foremost representative of children’s literature, awarded biannually to a renowned writer or illustrator in recognition of exceptional talent.
Managed by BookTrust – the UK’s largest children’s reading charity – and sponsored by Waterstones, this prestigious role celebrates creativity and storytelling, promotes the vital importance of reading and children’s literature, and champions the right of every child to enjoy a lifetime enriched with books and stories. Each Laureate brings their own passion and creativity to their tenure.
Liverpool-based Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a multi-award-winning children’s author. Since his debut Millions won the CILIP Carnegie Medal (and was made into a film directed by Danny Boyle) he has penned a plethora of much-loved books including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again (the official sequel commissioned by the Fleming Estate), Cosmic, Framed, The Astounding Broccoli Boy and Runaway Robot.
He is also a highly esteemed script and screenwriter, devising the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, co-writing the Platinum Jubilee Paddington sketch, alongside writing for Doctor Who, Goodbye Christopher Robin and most recently The Beautiful Game, starring Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward.
At yesterday’s ceremony, Cottrell-Boyce launched his Laureateship with a powerful speech declaring his ambitions for children’s books and the life-changing benefits of reading to be ‘taken seriously’.
He pledged to dedicate his two-year tenure to igniting a fierce national conversation about the role books and reading can play in transforming children’s lives, referencing the decades of compelling evidence showing that reading for pleasure is the single biggest factor impacting the life-chances of a child, as well as the ‘crisis point’ facing the millions of children now living in poverty, warning: ‘we risk losing a generation unless we act.’
This campaign – which is called Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future– also includes plans for a national summit bringing together expert voices in the political, education, literacy and early years sectors.
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024–2026, added:“Our children are living through the aftermath of a series of crises, the pandemic, a series of wars and an unfolding environmental crisis.
“The only public conversation is about how we can make our children “catch up” – which seems to me a kind of code for forgetting this ever happened. None of us has the slightest idea about what the future now holds for them – but the one thing we do know is that they will need to know how to be happy.
“Every child has to have the opportunity to begin to build the apparatus of happiness within themselves.
“I will use my time as Waterstones Children’s Laureate to call for a reset in our attitude towards how we value children’s books and reading – to start this story again – and to campaign for the millions of children living in poverty to be given the same life-changing chances. To stand up for the children in this country and their Reading Rights.
“So, whoever wins Thursday’s election has a huge responsibility. Whoever we wake up to Friday morning, they have the power to make a revolutionary change in children’s lives.”
Diana Gerald, CEO at BookTrust, said:“Reading can help young children who missed out on critical development opportunities during the pandemic and who have fallen behind in terms of literacy, language development, and communication skills.
“It can help children overcome the consequences of rising levels of poverty and inequality, particularly if we read with them in their early years.
“The appointment of Frank as Children’s Laureate gives us a powerful advocate for the disadvantaged and vulnerable children and the transformative effect that reading can have on their lives.”
Kate Edwards, Chair of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate Steering Group and Chair of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024-26 Judging Panel, said: “The Waterstones Children’s Laureate selection panel invites nominations from a range of organisations across the UK representing librarians, critics, writers, literature development workers and booksellers – on behalf of everyone, I extend Frank our warmest congratulations.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Frank to this prestigious role as the Laureateship celebrates its 25th anniversary – not only does his wonderful writing entertain and inspire, but he has long been a passionate voice in the campaign for children’s books to be given the value and recognition that they deserve.
“Frank is a wonderful Laureate for these times and the Steering Group is looking forward to working with him over the next two years, helping to bring his vital plans and ambitions to life so that every child can enjoy a life rich in books and reading.”
Nick Campbell, Children’s Campaign Manager at Waterstones, said: ““On behalf of our booksellers, particularly our experts in children’s reading, we’re thrilled to welcome Frank Cottrell-Boyce to the role of Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024-2026.
“In the twenty years since his debut novel, Frank’s work has been a cornerstone of our children’s sections, deploying his wit and genius for storytelling in celebration of young people’s imaginative potential.
“We are so pleased to support him as Laureate in championing those young people and the transformative power of reading.”
An initiative which will support low income families to take part in community action and advise on improvements in local services is being funded as part of a wider programme to help develop new approaches to child poverty.
The project, led by Midlothian Sure Start in partnership with Midlothian Council, is one of nine successful applicants to the Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund – which was set up to explore promising approaches or redesign services to maximise their impact on child poverty.
A Cash First Fund, which aims to reduce the need for emergency food parcels and food banks, will also fund eight partnerships to provide help to low income families. Six of these will provide new sources of cash-first support.
This morning Social Justice Secretary @S_A_Somerville announced two new funds to deliver cash first support for people in need, and develop new approaches to tackling child poverty.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said yesterday: “These two funds exemplify the innovative approach the Scottish Government is taking to tackling poverty and delivering for the people of Scotland.
“The Midlothian partnership will give local families the opportunity to get involved in and influence local services. It will aim to identify improvements which will ensure help on offer is joined-up and people are supported in a dignified way to reduce stigma.
“Other projects will help to accelerate progress in tackling poverty, including by making it easier for people to access cash in a crisis and by connecting people with advice to prevent future hardship.
“We are investing £3 billion this financial year to tackle poverty and protect people from the cost of living crisis. We are taking all the action we can to support people within our limited powers and fixed budget.”
Cash First Fund: successful proposals
Area
Lead partner
Aberdeen
Aberdeen Voluntary Action (TSI)
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire Council
Edinburgh
Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership
Fife
Fife Council
Glasgow
Glasgow Centre for Population Health
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire Council
Orkney
Voluntary Action Orkney (TSI)
West Dunbartonshire
West Dunbartonshire Council
Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund: successful proposals
Area
Project
Aberdeen City
Data driven identification of households experiencing child poverty to inform and direct intervention and support.
Argyll and Bute
Evaluating the usefulness of third-party datasets for identifying communities in need of financial support.
Edinburgh
Income Maximisation Outreach
Inverclyde
Parent Centred Early and Intensive Intervention – supporting parents with children and babies under 5 years
Midlothian
Midlothian Peer Research – A Case for Change through a Place Based Approach Building Skills and Influencing
Moray
Improved identification of families affected by disability and delivery of support to maximise income
North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire Single Shared Assessment (NASSA)
Perth & Kinross
Beyond Emergency Support to Sustainable Livelihoods – Capacity Building Programme for Local Communities
South Lanarkshire
Paths out of Poverty’ – empowering parent/carers of disabled children through innovative, holistic, strengths-based approach.
“It’s only right that the wealthiest pay their fair share”
Wealthiest “feathering their nests” while working people suffer the worst pay crisis for two centuries
NEW POLLING reveals significant cross-voter support for increasing taxes on wealth and excess profits, as the TUC general secretary renews call for a national conversation on tax
3 in 4 think capital gains should be taxed at the same or higher than income tax – including 73% of Conservative 2019 voters
TUC calls for a new deal for workers to help tackle the boom in insecure work, stagnant wages and attacks on workers’ rights.
The TUC has declared that “we must put an end to the grotesque inequality of the Tory era”.Ahead of its annual Congress in Liverpool this weekend, the TUC says the Conservatives have allowed Britain’s wealthiest to “feather their nests” while working people have suffered the worst pay crisis for two centuries.
The union body adds that the Conservatives have delivered a “broken economic model which rewards wealth, not work”.
With “living standards plummeting, public services on their knees, and rampant wealth inequality blighting every corner of the country”, the union body says fair taxation must be a key part of a wider set of policies to help “reset the economy to work for working people”.
The TUC is renewing its call for a “national conversation on taxing wealth and windfalls” to help build a fairer society and “fix broken Britain”.
Significant support for fairer tax
The call comes as the union body publishes new polling, conducted by Opinium, which shows significant cross-party support for increasing taxes on wealth and excess profits.
A clear majority (61%) of the public think wealthy people should pay more tax than they are now – including over half (53%) of Conservative voters in the 2019 general election.
Only 4% of the public think wealthy people should pay less tax.
There is significant backing for increasing capital gains tax too.
Around 3 in 4 (72%) think capital gains should be taxed at the same or higher than income tax – including 73% of Conservative 2019 voters.
There was also huge support across the board for windfall taxes on excess profits:
Three quarters (75%) of the public support a windfall tax on banks’ excess profits – including 76% of Conservative 2019 voters
4 in 5 (80%) support a windfall tax on energy companies’ profits – including 81% of Conservative 2019 voters
7 in 10 (69%) support a windfall tax on large online retailers’ excess profits (like Amazon)
The TUC has already called on the government to equalise capital gains tax with income tax which could raise over £10 billion – and it has supported a bigger windfall tax on energy companies.
Recent TUC analysis set out options for taxing the wealthiest 0.3% with wealth over £3 million, £5 million and £10 million, excluding pensions.
It found a modest wealth tax on the richest 140,000 individuals – which is around 0.3% of the UK population – could deliver a £10.4 bn boost for the public purse.
Rampant inequalities
The TUC warns that huge inequality has “become the norm” in Tory Britain.
The ONS’ analysis of its Wealth and Assets Survey shows that the richest 1% of households had wealth of more than £3.6 million, and the least wealthy ten per cent had £15,400 or less.
Of financial wealth, the ONS say the wealth held by the richest 1% of households was greater than for the entire bottom 80 per cent of the population.
City bonuses have been at a record level for the past two years. And banks and energy giants have been registering record profits too.
Worst pay crisis for two centuries
The TUC says working people are suffering the worst pay crisis in 200 years, which is contributing to the rampant wealth and income inequalities blighting every corner of the country.
Fifteen years on since the financial crisis, real pay is still down £360 this year compared to 2008. The average worker has lost out on a total of £21,600 since 2008, compared with wages just keeping pace with inflation.
And pay is not expected to return to 2008 level for at least another two years.
If real wages had continued to grow at the average pre-2008 rate of 2.3 per cent each year, the average worker would now be £280 per week, or £14,600 per year, better off.
Time for an economic reset
The TUC is calling for an economic reset after years of Tory failure.
As well as growing inequality, declining living standards, and public services which have been cut to the bone, the union body says the Conservatives have presided over a boom in insecure work and an attack on workers’ rights.
In addition to fairer taxation, the union body is repeating its demands for stronger protections for workers, and calling for improvements including:
Fair pay agreements to get pay rising in low-paid industries
A ban on the abusive use of zero hours contracts and a ban on fire and rehire
Day one employment rights, like protection against unfair dismissal.
The TUC says these policies are hugely popular across the political spectrum – as various recent polls have shown.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “It’s time to end the grotesque inequality of the Tory era.
“As households across the country have struggled to put food on the table, energy companies and banks have registered eyewatering profits, and CEO pay has skyrocketed.
“The wealthiest have feathered their nests while working people have suffered the worst pay crisis in two centuries.
“Rampant inequalities are the direct result of a broken Tory economic model that rewards wealth, not work.
“We need a reset – and an economy that delivers better living standards for all – not just those at the top.”
On the need to kickstart a national conversation about taxing wealth, Paul added: “Now is the time for a national conversation on taxing wealth and windfalls.
“With living standards plummeting, public services on their knees, and huge wealth inequalities blighting every corner of the country, fairer taxes can help to fix broken Britain.
“But our current tax system isn’t fit for purpose. A nurse will pay a bigger share of their income in tax than a city trader does on profits from their investment portfolio.
“That’s not only absurd and unfair – it’s bad for our economy and our public services too.
“The public overwhelmingly back increased taxes on the wealthiest and companies that have made massive profits.
“It’s only right that the wealthiest pay their fair share.”
Disabled people are more at risk of having to make the difficult decision between heating and eating
Before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic disabled workers faced huge barriers getting into and staying in work (writes TUC General Secretary PAUL NOWAK).
The pandemic, and the huge changes it has caused to our everyday lives, has exacerbated the barriers disabled people face.
Not only have disabled people been disproportionately affected in terms of loss of life, with six in 10 Covid-19 related deaths being disabled people, but pre-existing workplace barriers have been accentuated by the pandemic.
And now, new data published by the TUC for our disabled workers conference shows disabled workers are much more likely to earn less than non-disabled workers.
That’s not right.
Having an impairment should never mean you get paid less or that you’re on worse terms and conditions. However, for too many disabled workers in this country, it is an all too true reality.
With spiralling inflation and eye watering bills, workers are having their income stretched in every direction. But for disabled people, the situation is even more challenging.
Let’s not forget – disabled workers face even higher living costs than non-disabled workers. So as the cost-of-living crisis continues to play havoc with everyone’s lives, we know that these workers are feeling the pinch even more.
But the challenges don’t end there.
Disabled workers also encounter more barriers in the workplace than non-disabled colleagues – with many worried that if they ask their employer for the reasonable adjustments they need to do their job, they’ll be refused outright.
New TUC analysis reveals disabled workers are much more likely to be paid less than their non-disabled colleagues – with those in the North of England and Wales even more likely to be paid less.
And we know that disabled people are more at risk of having to make the difficult decision between heating and eating.
With this cost-of-living crisis not looking like it’s going to end any time soon, things are only going to get worse. We need action now.
With the government too focused on its own political survival, ministers have done nothing to put the mind of disabled workers at ease.
Our call is clear: It’s time to end the pay disparity that penalises disabled workers and it’s time disabled workers get the support they need in the workplace.
At the TUC’s disabled workers conference, we heard from delegates about how the cost-of-living crisis is hitting disabled workers across the country. And we heard how we can build workplaces that work for everyone.
That means stamping out insecure work by banning zero-hour contracts, increasing the minimum wage and outlawing fire and rehire.
That means giving disabled workers fair access to request reasonable adjustments, and fining those employers who discriminate against workers because of any impairment.
And that means forcing employers to come with an action plan to report their disability pay and employment gaps.
This is a plan which will deliver and transform the lives of so many disabled workers across the country.
New plans to improve the lives of disabled people have been set out by the Government today (Tuesday 18 July).
Government launches consultation on Disability Action Plan, which brings together ideas and action across Government to make disabled people’s lives easier
Plans include raising awareness of life-changing tech for disabled people, mandatory disability awareness training for taxi drivers, autism-friendly programmes for cultural and heritage sites
Plans designed by Ministers to make the UK a more inclusive society in the long term
Immediate and practical measures proposed in the fully accessible consultation include ensuring businesses are aware of disabled people’s needs – including Guide Dog access needs – to allow all disabled people to live, work and shop freely and support for local authorities to ensure the playgrounds they build or refurbish are accessible for disabled children.
The proposals will inform the Government’s Disability Action Plan later this year, laying the foundations for longer term change.
Other measures in the proposed Plan include:
– Raising the profile of assistive technology to ensure more disabled people have access to life-changing tech
– Legislating for mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and private hire drivers to unlock greater travel freedom for disabled people
– Encouraging more autism-friendly programmes in the cultural and heritage sectors to drive greater inclusivity
– Improving reasonable adjustments in the courts system so more disabled people can be on juries improving diversity and breadth of experience
– Implementing the British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE, over a year after the BSL Act was introduced, giving thousands of pupils communication and visual memory skills that will be an advantage to them for the rest of their lives
– Exploring the feasibility of Great Britain hosting the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2031.
The Disability Action Plan sits alongside the Government’s National Disability Strategy which sets out our longer-term vision to improve disabled people’s lives for the better.
6.6927 Disability Unit branding
Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, said: “Our Disability Action Plan will lay out practical measures we can implement here and now to improve the lives of disabled people.
“From leading the way globally with assistive technology to improving inclusivity and accessibility across sport, travel and culture, the Plan will also be important in setting the stage for longer term change.
“We want disabled people to be at the heart of decision making and I would encourage anyone interested to respond to this consultation so the views of disabled people across the country are front and centre of our final Disability Action Plan.”
The Plan builds on the Government’s achievements over the last year on education, work, leisure, and rights for disabled people. This includes supporting the passage of landmark legislation: the Down Syndrome Act and British Sign Language (BSL) Act – and a consultation to support the introduction of a new BSL GCSE.
The overarching focus on disability has also ensured over 2,000 miles of King Charles III England Coast Path is accessible, while the government has delivered an additional £1 billion for the education of children and young people with more complex needs.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks and be open for anyone to comment. This will ensure the Plan is informed by the experience and views of disabled people, disability organisations and charities as well as other interested parties.
Chair of the Disability Unit West Midlands Regional Stakeholder Network, Louise Mckiernan said: “I welcome the Government’s commitment to their new Disability Action Plan and their intention to take immediate and practical actions to improve the lives of disabled people across the UK.
The launch of this consultation is an important opportunity for disabled people in particular to have their say and to help shape the Government’s short-term plans.
“I would encourage as many disabled people, disability organisations and other interested parties as possible to take part in this consultation exercise to ensure their voices are heard.”
