Category: #ToryJobs

#ToryJobs

“You can’t really win”: 4m Britons in poverty despite having jobs

From The Guardian: Gemma struggled to make ends meet when taking home £399.69 a month for working 18 hours a week as a cashier at Betfred.

Even with tax credits and child benefit topping up her meagre wages, it was a constant struggle to pay for the essentials and Gemma fell behind on her bills. She was already receiving letters, phone calls, texts and emails threatening legal action over previous unpaid bills, as well as £400 of benefit overpayments that had to be repaid.

Official data released on Tuesday showed that unemployment remains at its lowest level since the mid-1970s but that means little to the 4 million workers in the UK like Gemma, who are living in poverty.

[Read full article on Guardian website…]

Four million British workers live in poverty, charity says

From The Guardian: More than 500,000 British workers have been swept into working poverty over the past five years, according to a report that shows the number of people with a job but living below the breadline has risen faster than employment.

In the latest sign that the link between entering work and making ends meet has become increasingly frayed in 21st-century Britain, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said that the number of workers in poverty hit 4 million last year, meaning about one in eight in the economy are now classified as working poor.

Nearly all of the increase comes as growing numbers of working parents find it harder to earn enough money to pay for food, clothing and accommodation due to weak wage growth, an erosion of welfare support and tax credits and the rising cost of living.

Half a million more children have become trapped in poverty over the past five years as a direct consequence, reaching 4.1 million last year, the charity’s report added. It means that in a typical classroom of 30 children, nine would come from a household in poverty.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of the JRF, said: “We are seeing a rising tide of child poverty as more parents are unable to make ends meet, despite working. This is unacceptable.”

[Read full article on Guardian website…]

UK Government told to ‘end age discrimination’ in minimum wage rates

From Welfare Weekly: The SNP has called on the UK government to “end age discrimination” in minimum wage rates at the Budget.

David Linden, one of the youngest MPs at Westminster, has written to the Chancellor demanding the UK government “stop discriminating against young people” and change the law to ensure that all workers are entitled to a real Living Wage – currently £8.75 in Scotland, £10.20 in London.

Under current UK legislation, younger workers can be discriminated against with lower wages, despite doing the same job.

Since 1st April 2018, workers over the age of 25 are entitled to a minimum wage of at least £7.83 an hour, while those aged 21 to 24 are only entitled to £7.38 an hour, those aged 18 to 20 only £5.90 an hour, those under 18 just £4.20 an hour, and apprentices can be paid as little as £3.70 an hour.

The 28-year-old SNP MP for Glasgow East, who left school at the age of 16 to work as an apprentice, said the UK government had “failed younger people” by refusing to change the law – leaving younger workers thousands of pounds a year worse off.

David Linden said: “Millions of families across the UK have suffered from falling wages and squeezed incomes under the past decade of Tory austerity – but younger workers have also faced discriminatory minimum wages rates, meaning they can legally be paid less for doing the same job.”

One in 12 young people are working in zero-hours jobs

From Morning Star: Zero-hours contracts have risen to nearly two million in Britain, with one in 12 young people working uncertain hours.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the figures, published today, increased from 1.7m to 1.8m in the year to last November and represents 6 per cent of all contracts.

Of these, the ONS has reported, 901,000 workers are on zero-hours contracts as some are forced to work more than one.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Most people are not on zero-hours contracts by choice. They want the same rights, security and guaranteed hours as other employees.

“More than half of zero-hours contract workers have had jobs cancelled with less than a day’s notice. Zero-hours contracts are a licence to treat people like disposable labour and the government should ban them.”

[Read full article on Morning Star website…]

Number of zero-hours contracts in UK rose by 100,000 in 2017 – ONS

From The Guardian: The number of zero-hours contracts in use across the UK rose by about 100,000 last year, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics, said the number of employment contracts without a minimum number of guaranteed hours increased to 1.8m in the year to November, up from 1.7m in 2016.

People on zero hours contracts are more likely to be young, women, students or those in part-time employment. Although some like the potential flexibility, about a quarter of people want to work more hours, compared with only 7.3% of people in other forms of employment.

A survey from the TUC found more than half of workers on zero-hours contracts have had shifts cancelled less than 24 hours before they were due to begin.

[Read full article on Guardian website…]

Company profitability up in last decade, while real wages slide, says TUC

From the TUC: Profitability has grown in the last decade, while real wages have fallen, according to new TUC analysis of ONS figures.

The latest figures show UK-registered corporate profitability at 12.6% in 2017, up from 11.4% in 2007. Yet real wages in the same period fell by 4.4%. In the services sector, profitability is even higher – rising from 14% to 19.1%.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Working people aren’t getting their fair share. Profitability is up, but real wages are still in freefall. It’s especially galling to see so many people on poverty pay in the service sector, where profits have shot up. Not only does Britain deserve a pay rise, but this evidence shows that business can afford it too.”

[Read full news release on TUC website…]

Plot by Tory ministers could slash paid holidays for 7 million workers, says TUC

From the TUC: A plot by #Tory ministers to scrap the Working Time Directive in the UK reported today could deny paid holidays to millions of workers, and make long working weeks the norm, the TUC has said.

The Sunday Times and Sun both report plans by ministers – including Michael Gove and Boris Johnson – to scrap the Working Time Directive after Brexit.

Losing the protections of the directive means that:

  • 7 million workers could lose rights to paid holidays – 4.7 million of them women, and many on zero-hours or part-time contracts.
  • Even more workers could be forced by bosses to work weeks longer than 48 hours.
  • Workers could lose the right to lunch and rest breaks.
  • Night workers could lose some health and safety protections.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “This is a straight-up attack on our rights at work. Millions could lose their paid holidays, and be forced to work ridiculously long hours.

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Theresa May prevaricates when asked why the Magic Money Tree bloomed for the DUP’s £1bn but not for nurses’ pay

Have you felt a tiny twang of sympathy for Theresa May recently? Lose it instantly by watching this interview 

Jon Snow asks her why the Magic Money Tree bloomed to fund the £1 billion deal with the DUP to keep the Tories in power, while we’re told nothing can done about the public sector pay cap.

Theresa May speaks on her spending priorities

"You can pluck a billion out and give it to the DUP but you can't do anything with the nurses?" Jon Snow questions Prime Minister Theresa May on her spending priorities; she says the nurses' pay review body will be given flexibility.

Posted by Channel 4 News Democracy on Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Employment tribunal fees unlawful, Supreme Court rules

From BBC News: Fees for those bringing employment tribunal claims have been ruled unlawful, and the government will now have to repay up to £32m to claimants.

The Tory government introduced fees of up to £1,200 in 2013.

Government statistics showed 79% fewer cases were brought over three years – trade union Unison said the fees prevented workers accessing justice.

The Supreme Court ruled the government was acting unlawfully and unconstitutionally when it introduced the fees.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “The government has been acting unlawfully, and has been proved wrong – not just on simple economics, but on constitutional law and basic fairness too.”

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Tory Chancellor Philip Hammond calls nurses and police officers ‘overpaid’ while raking in £10k a month renting property

From the Daily Mirror: As millions of public sector ­workers he claims are “overpaid” struggle to meet household bills, Tory Chancellor Philip Hammond enjoys a rent-free life in homes paid for with taxpayer cash.

Read full article on Daily Mirror website…

Zero-hours contracts are ‘bad for your health’, says study

From Welfare Weekly: Young people on zero-hours contracts are less likely to be in good health and more likely to suffer from mental health problems, according to the findings of a new study published today.

Researchers from the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, based at the University College London, analysed data from more than 7,700 people living in England who were born in 1989-90 as part of its ‘Next Steps‘ study.

Those aged under the age of 25 and in zero-hours employment were less likely to report they were feeling healthy, when compared to those in secure employment.

Zero-hours employment is notoriously insecure and the contracts offer no guarantee of hours, and those on the contracts are often denied the same rights as other workers in more secure employment.

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Theresa May tells nurse she can’t have a pay rise

From The Canary: Watch Theresa May say to a nurse whose real wages are going down: “I’m being honest with you in terms of saying that we will put more money into the NHS but there isn’t a Magic Money Tree we can shake that suddenly provides everything that people want.”

Meanwhile, Britain’s richest 1,000 families are well on their way to tripling their wealth since the financial crisis, while austerity bites the rest of us. Since 2009, the top 1,000 families have increased their fortune by over 155%.

[Read full article with video on The Canary website…]

Workers’ rights after Brexit? It’s radio silence from the Tories

From The New Statesman: Theresa May opposed the introduction of many of these rights as a backbencher and shadow minister; and that several of her Cabinet ministers have spoken about their desire to reduce employment protections, one even calling for them to be halved last year. The government has even announced it is looking at removing the right to strike from transport workers, which would contradict their May’s promise to protect workers’ rights before we’ve even left the EU.

[Read full column on New Statesman website…]