Tag: TUC

Coronavirus: Sick Pay Stooshie

Statutory Sick Pay will be made available from day one when self-isolating, instead of day four, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday – but poverty campaigners say this won’t be enough to protect workers.

The move will be included in emergency legislation to deal with coronavirus.

Updating Parliament on the Government’s response, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told MPs: “I can today announce that the Health Secretary will bring forward, as part of our emergency legislation measures, to allow the payment of Statutory Sick Pay from the very first day you are sick instead of four days under the current rules.

“No one should be penalised for doing the right thing.”

Explaining the rationale for the measure, the Prime Minister had earlier said: “We are not at the point yet where we are asking large numbers of people to self-isolate, but that may of course come if large numbers have the symptoms.

“If they stay at home, they are helping to protect all of us by preventing the spread of the virus.”

The change will be a temporary measure to respond to the outbreak and will lapse when it is no longer required.

Statutory Sick Pay is paid by employers, who will know the reason their staff are giving for not being at work and already have some discretion to accept different forms of evidence as proof of sickness.

There is a range of support in place for those who do not receive Statutory Sick Pay, including Universal Credit and contributory Employment and Support Allowance. The move will be included in emergency legislation to deal with coronavirus.

The UK Government has announced it will extend statutory sick pay to start on the first day of being off to enable people to self-isolate in response to the Corona virus. But this won’t be enough to protect workers, says the Poverty Alliance.

Peter Kelly, Director of Poverty Alliance said: ““While we welcome the much needed extension of statutory sick pay, this will not be enough to protect workers who may need to self-isolate in response to the virus.

“Statutory sick pay should be significantly increased from its current level of £94.25 to reflect the cost of living, and the qualifying wage of £118 should be removed.

“If the Corona virus continues to spread at its current rate there is a high risk that many more people will be swept into already staggering levels of poverty in this country.”

“The challenges of responding to the virus highlight existing failings in both the labour market and social security system. Workers on zero hours contracts will have no access to sick leave and have been recommended to apply for Universal Credit. But we know that the five week wait for first payments of the benefit is already driving destitution.

“Immediate safeguards should be introduced for workers who are deemed as self-employed or are on zero or short hours contracts and the scandalous and unnecessary wait for Universal Credit should be brought to an end.”

The TUC has been campaigning for everyone to get sick pay from day one, no matter what they earn.

They are calling on the government to introduce emergency legislation that:

  • Gives every worker the right to statutory sick pay from the first day of absence
  • Scraps the minimum earnings threshold for statutory sick pay
  • Increases the weekly level of sick pay
  • Ensures that sick pay is paid to workers having to self-isolate
  • Provides funds to ensure employers can afford to pay sick pay and additional support to those who miss out

Sign the petition calling for sick pay for every worker from day one.

 

TUC head calls on labour movement to pull together and avoid “self-pity and recriminations”

Working families won’t be sorry to see the back of the 2010s. It’s been a decade of austerity and pay stagnation – putting real pressure on family finances, the NHS and the public services we all rely on, writes TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady … Continue reading TUC head calls on labour movement to pull together and avoid “self-pity and recriminations”

Child poverty in working households has increased by 800,000 under Tories, says TUC

  • Number of children living below the breadline – despite being in a working family – has increased by 38% since decade began 
  • London, East of England and West Midlands have suffered biggest increases 
  • Government policies have driven majority of rise, says TUC  

poverty family JRF

The number of children growing up in poverty in working households has risen by 800,000 since 2010, according to new TUC analysis published today. 

The analysis reveals that child poverty in working families rose to 2.9 million in 2018 – an increase of 38% since the start of the decade.

In 2010, 1 in 5 (19%) children in working households were growing up in poverty. In 2018 this had increased to 1 in 4 (24%).

The analysis shows that Westminster government policies account for the majority of the increase in-work poverty. More than 485,000 children (in working households) have been pushed below the breadline as a direct result of the government’s in-work benefit cuts. 

The TUC says that other key factors behind the rise in child poverty are: 

  • Weak wage growth
  • The spread of insecure work
  • Population growth
  • The rise in the number of working households hasn’t been enough to lift families out of poverty.

London has suffered the biggest increase in child poverty (+68%) among working families followed by the West Midlands (+56%) and East England (+56%).

In 2016 the Conservatives abolished the Child Poverty Act and scrapped targets to reduce poverty.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “No child in Britain should be growing up in poverty. But millions of parents are struggling to feed and clothe their kids. That is not right.

“The Conservatives’ cuts to in-work benefits have come at a terrible human cost. As too has their failure to tackle insecure work and get wages rising across the economy.

“We need a government that puts working families first, not wealthy donors and hedge funds.”

The TUC is calling on all political parties to: 

  • Raise the minimum wage to £10 an hour
  • Stop and scrap Universal Credit
  • Ban zero-hours contracts
  • Give workers new rights to join unions and bargain for better pay and conditions across industries

Increase in number of children living in poverty in working households since 2010 (nation/region) 

Region Number of children in poverty in 2010 Number of children in poverty in 2018 Extra children in poverty (000s) Extra children in poverty (%)
North East 71,362 108,775 37,413 52
North West 241,300 335,190 93,890 39
Yorkshire and Humberside 206,827 217,571 10,744 5
East Midlands 124,690 184,085 59,395 48
West Midlands 191,504 299,510 108,006 56
Eastern England 171,637 268,516 96,879 56
London 362,448 609,002 246,554 68
South East 248,435 340,996 92,561 37
South West 179,550 215,403 35,853 20
Wales 124,102 119,693 -4,409 -4
Scotland 112,075 121,925 9,850 9
Northern Ireland 53,404 59,690 6,286 12
UK total 2,087,334 2,880,356 793,022 38

Source: Landman Economics Analysis and modelling for the TUC 

Proportion of children in poverty in working households 

Region 2010 (%) 2018 (%)
North East 17.3 25.5
North West 20.2 25.3
Yorkshire and Humberside 22.7 22.0
East Midlands 15.5 21.1
West Midlands 19.9 27.9
Eastern England 15.8 22.7
London 25.9 33.9
South East 15.5 20.0
South West 19.7 21.4
Wales 24.6 22.0
Scotland 13.3 15.1
Northern Ireland 15.2 15.7
UK total 19.0 23.8

Source: TUC analysis of HBAI data 

Us and Them: Pay for top earners “back in the fast lane”, TUC analysis reveals

  • Britain’s highest earners have enjoyed 7.6% real pay rise over last two years
  • Real wages have remained flat for those on average pay
  • High earners would be boosted further by Boris Johnson’s £9.6bn tax “giveaway”, says TUC

Pay for the top 1% of earners has increased faster than for any other income group over the past two years, according to new TUC analysis,

The analysis shows that pay for Britain’s highest earners (those earning £63 an hour or more – or £2,300 and above for a full-time week) increased by 7.6% in real terms between 2016 and 2018.

By contrast, real wage growth for the typical worker increased by just 0.1% over the same period.

The TUC warned that the gap between those at the top and average workers would get worse under plans floated by Boris Johnson for tax cuts for higher earners – that would cost the Treasury around £9.6bn a year.

The union body says no serious attempt has been made this decade to rein in excessive pay, with Theresa May rowing back on her promise to put workers on company boards.

Average pay is still worth less in real terms than before the financial crisis, with UK workers suffering the longest pay squeeze since Napoleonic times.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “While millions struggle with Britain’s cost of living crisis, pay for those at top is back in the fast lane.

“We need an economy that works for everyone, not just the richest 1%.

“Boris Johnson’s promised tax giveaway to high earners would only make things worse. The prime minister is focused on helping his wealthy mates and donors – not working people.”

TUC backs Global Climate Strike on 20th September

TUC conference yesterday unanimously passed a motion to support the school student Global Climate Strike on 20th September and has called on TUC affiliate Unions to organise a 30 minute work day campaign action to coincide with the school students strike on 20th September. Continue reading TUC backs Global Climate Strike on 20th September