Usdaw is raising concerns at the conference about  the impact of Universal Credit cuts on family incomes, the problems working women going through the menopause face and calling on the Government to put women’s equality at the top of the Brexit negotiating agenda.

John Hannett - Usdaw General Secretary says: “This Government does not have women's rights at the top of their Brexit negotiating agenda. Their actions have demonstrated that issues of women's equality are way down their list of priorities.

“Look at the facts: Today women are working longer than ever before and for less, violence against women and girls is at an all-time high, maternity pay and child benefit at an all-time low. Women are hugely under-represented in Parliament and over-represented in poverty and mortality statistics. In all aspects of women’s lives, from cradle to grave, they are experiencing discrimination and unequal treatment.

“Perhaps the starkest examples of how the Government is failing women workers are the cuts to Universal Credit that are plunging families into poverty. Cuts to in-work social security, such as the ongoing freeze of working age benefits, mean that today more than two thirds of children growing up in poverty live in a  family where at least one person works. Moving to Universal Credit means that 2.1 million working families will lose an average of £1,600 per year on top of cuts already made to tax credits.

“This is appalling. Government policy is forcing children into poverty. Official annual poverty statistics showed an increase in child poverty for the second year running. Around 100,000 more children fell into relative poverty last year, taking the total to 4 million. Without serious changes to Government policy, this situation will not improve.”

Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 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 @UsdawUnion