The cost of living crisis is having a significant impact on young workers. In November, Usdaw surveyed thousands of low-paid workers and the responses from those under 27 showed that:
- 76% cannot afford to take time off work when ill.
- Over 70% have had to rely on unsecured borrowing to pay bills.
- More than 1 in 5 miss meals every month to pay bills.
- 83% report that financial worries are having an impact on their mental health.
- Almost a quarter have working hours that are significantly different each week.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “At the heart of the cost of living crisis is our weak employment rights framework, leaving workers vulnerable to economic headwinds. At the same time, one-sided flexibility in the workplace consistently benefits the employer at the expense of employees.
“The framework of employment rights is even weaker for young workers, due to unfair youth rates in the National Minimum Wage, the qualifying period for protection against unfair dismissal and age discriminatory provisions in the calculation of redundancy pay.
“We also have specific concerns about the disproportionate impact the cost of living crisis is having on young carers. Usdaw is therefore calling for the TUC to support the campaigning work of the Carer Poverty Coalition, alongside Carers UK, and encourage affiliated unions to sign-up to the coalition.
“We need a New Deal for Young Workers. Too many are in insecure work, with zero hours or short hours contracts, on pitiful minimum wage youth rates, without the protections they need or deserve. It’s time for new deal, grounded in day one rights for young workers, including higher statutory sick pay that reflects normal earnings.”
Usdaw is calling for stronger employment rights for young workers, including:
- Increased Statutory Sick Pay.
- An end to minimum wage youth rates.
- Day one employment rights, including protection against unfair dismissal.
- A ban on zero-hours contracts.
- The right to switch to a 'normal hours' contract.
- A minimum contract of 16 hours per week for everyone who wants it.
- Increasing Statutory Redundancy Pay to three weeks’ pay for each year of service, irrespective of age.
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 350,000 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
www.usdaw.org.uk
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