John McDonnell MP - Shadow Chancellor said: “I commit today that within our first term of office Labour will end in-work poverty. That means completely transforming the way our economy works. We’ll restore full trade union rights and workplace rights from day one. We’ll roll out collective bargaining to enable workers to get their fair share of what they produce. We’ll bring in a Real Living Wage of at least £10 per hour. We’ll end the barbaric roll-out of Universal Credit.”
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Ending in-work poverty would be one of Labour’s greatest achievements, it is the scourge of modern society. The Government disgracefully failed to act on the evidence our ‘Time for Better Pay’ campaign produced, so we are delighted that Labour has listened and taken on board our policy recommendations.
“Insecure low-paid work is causing many families a great deal of hardship as they struggle to make ends meet and have no guaranteed income from week to week. So Labour’s promises of £10 per hour, and an end to zero-hour employment and contracts that reflects workers hours are very welcome and will make a real difference to our members and millions of workers.”
Usdaw’s ‘Time for Better Pay’ campaign is calling on the Government to strengthen workers’ rights by introducing:
- A minimum wage rate of at least £10 per hour for all workers.
- Minimum contracts of 16 hours per week for everyone who wants one.
- Contracts based on an individual’s normal hours of work.
- An end to zero-hours contracts.
- Ending the roll out of Universal Credit.
For more information:
www.usdaw.org.uk/T4BP
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 410,000 members. Membership has increased by more than one-third over the last couple of decades. 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