Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “The reality of the situation is that the Prime Minister is continuing to prioritise tax cuts over achieving economic growth, which the last 12 years of Conservative Government has failed to achieve. They are the real ‘anti-growth coalition’. The key to economic growth is productivity and that is only achieved by ending low-paid and insecure employment, alongside ensuring working people have an income they can live one.
“It is the wealth creators who bring about growth, the shopworkers, delivery drivers, logistics staff, production workers and many more. The wealth creators in our economy are the very same key workers who kept this country going through the pandemic. To achieve that growth, they must have secure well paid jobs, able to live comfortably not struggle to survive.
“The Prime Minister today failed to reassure low-paid workers, who rely on Universal Credit, that their income will increase by at least the level of inflation. That is a broken Tory promise. The PM also failed to commit to an Employment Bill, as promised in their 2019 manifesto, which could transform workers’ lives by tackling rogue employers who pay poverty wages and misuse zero and short hours contracts.
“By contrast Labour will deliver for our members, Keir Starmer offers the hope and change they need, promising a new deal for working people within the first 100 days of a Labour Government. This new deal will give workers the dignity of a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work and security of employment. The time is up for the Tories, we need a general election and a Labour Government to put Britain back on track.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.
Labour’s New Deal for Workers: www.usdaw.org.uk/LaboursNDW
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
@UsdawUnion