Usdaw General Secretary calls for more support for working carers

“Carers do a difficult, tiring and enormously important job that gets little recognition and less reward”, Usdaw’s General Secretary told Labour’s annual conference today, “Too many carers are struggling to remain in paid work and make ends meet“.

John Hannett welcomed the Government’s commitment to tackle these issues with a wholesale review of the 1999 Carers Strategy and the announcement of a Standing Commission on Carers. “Labour in Government has done more than any other to improve the life chances for carers. Usdaw has an active role in the review, which is focussed on making a real difference to carers lives”

Usdaw’s resolution, which was agreed by Conference, is calling on the new Standing Commission on Carers to look at these important issues:

• The right to paid time off work for family/caring emergencies.
• Changes to Carers Allowance enabling many more working carers to access this benefit and stay in work.
• Better access to tax credits to help overcome the poverty trap that many working carers are stuck in.
• Addressing the gender pay gap to highlight the high price women in particular pay for having to take unpaid time out of the labour market to care.

John Hannett said, “Carers often feel they don’t have a voice. We are in a position to give them a voice and to make sure their voice is heard and we now have a Government that is ready to listen.”

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Notes to Editors:

• Contacts for newsdesks: Usdaw’s Media and Communications Department, can be contacted on 0161 249 2469 or e-mail communications@usdaw.org.uk.
• Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK’s fifth biggest trade union, with over 353,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
• More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.
• Subscribe/unsubscribe to Usdaw news releases via our online e-news service.

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