Usdaw’s ‘Time for Better Pay’ campaign tackles the causes of in-work poverty and seeks to develop an economy where work pays. Using the evidence gathered through our extensive research, the campaign is calling for four key actions:
- £10 per hour minimum wage for all workers over 18.
- Minimum contract of 16 hours per week for all employees who want it
- The right to a contract based on an individual’s normal hours of work
- An end to the misuse of zero hour contracts.
Speaking to the TUC annual conference in Manchester,
Amy Murphy – Usdaw President said: “One in three people experience mental health issues during their life. As part of addressing this mental health crisis, we must look at the impact that dramatic changes in the labour market are having on working people.
“The TUC estimates 3.2 million people are employed in insecure work in the UK. Low pay, short-hours contracts and the rise in insecure work have left working people under increased pressure to make ends meet. There is an endemic low pay problem in the UK and the ‘National Living Wage’ is in danger of being completely undermined as it simply not high enough to live on.
“Low paid workers, in sectors like retail, are struggling to afford the most basic costs of living - food, energy bills and rent and mortgage repayments. Growing numbers of workers are regularly working above their contracted hours, with no guarantees over these additional hours and the fear that shifts may be taken off them at a moment’s notice.
“At the same time, government cuts to in-work benefits have reduced support for working people, making it even harder to make ends meet. Workers are being forced into a cycle of debt and repayment, relying on loans and borrowing to cover essential bills. Financial stress is a well-known trigger for mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
“Insecure working practices are not only exacerbating existing mental health problems, but causing new ones. A recent Usdaw survey revealed the damaging impact of low paid and insecure work, two-thirds of workers reported financial worries are having an impact on their mental health.
“Challenging low pay and improving employment protection is vital to addressing the mental health crisis in the UK. We need urgent action from Government and employers. Better pay, guaranteed hours and job security will go some way towards relieving the pressures on low paid workers.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with around 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 28% over the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
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