Tag: 2023

The press release issued by the TUC on 30 January 2023.

The press release issued by the TUC on 30 January 2023.

The press release issued by the TUC on 30 January 2023.

• Government “ducking” proper scrutiny and consultation on strikes bill, warns TUC

Rishi Sunak’s government has launched a “full-frontal assault” on the right to strike, the TUC has today said – as the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill was “steamrollered” through the Commons without proper scrutiny or consultation.

The Bill was voted through this evening by MPs at its third reading.

If passed, the Strikes Bill will mean that when workers democratically and lawfully vote to strike they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

The TUC has launched a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to discover why the government published the Bill without a required impact assessment.

Previous government advice – published in the Autumn – warned that minimum service levels in transport could poison industrial relations, and lead to more frequent industrial action.

Despite this warning, the Conservatives are now proposing to extend minimum service levels to a range of other sectors including – health, education, fire, border security and nuclear decommissioning.

Today, 50 civil liberties organisations and rights groups, including Liberty, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam, penned an open letter condemning the Bill as an attack on the right to strike.

Far-reaching powers

The TUC has accused the government of “shortcutting” normal scrutiny procedures.

The bill gives ministers power to impose new minimum service levels through regulation.

But consultations on how these regulations will work have not been published, and parliamentarians have been given few details on how minimum service levels are intended to operate.

The TUC says the new legislation will “do nothing” to solve the current disputes across the public sector, and “only make matters worse”.

Commenting on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill being voted through the Commons this evening, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Rishi Sunak’s government has launched a full-frontal assault on the right to strike.

“This draconian legislation would mean that when workers democratically vote to strike, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

“And crucially it will likely poison industrial relations and exacerbate disputes, rather than help resolve them.

“Ministers know this bill is undemocratic, unworkable and almost certainly illegal.

“That’s why they are ducking proper scrutiny and consultation – and it’s why this bill was steamrollered through the Commons so quickly.

“With inflation running at over 10%, the last thing working people need is for ministers to make it harder to secure better pay and conditions.

“Conservative ministers must drop this spiteful bill and protect the right to strike – a fundamental British liberty.”

The press release issued by the TUC on 27 January 2023.

• City executives rake it in while nurses forced to use food banks to get by, says TUC
• Striking workers “forced to take action” after years of cuts to pay
• TUC estimates the latest annual bonus for city executives is a whopping £18.7bn

City pay including bonuses (pay in the financial services and insurance sector), has risen more than three times faster than nurses’ pay (3.2 times) since 2008, according to new TUC analysis published today (Friday).

Pay in the financial services and insurance sector has also risen well over three times faster than midwives’ pay (3.4 times faster) and paramedics’ pay (3.4 times faster).

The new analysis shows that since 2008, average pay in the financial services and insurance sector has soared by 83% in nominal terms – almost double the rate of inflation in the same period (43%).

Average pay in the City has increased by 6 per cent a year in nominal terms since 2008, whereas nurses’, midwives, and paramedics’ pay has increased by less than 2 per cent.

The failure of key worker pay to keep pace with inflation has left many facing huge real terms losses:

• Nurses’ have lost £42,000 in real earnings since 2008 as a result of their pay not keeping up with inflation
• Midwives’ have lost £56,00 in real earnings since 2008 as a result of their pay not keeping up with inflation
• Paramedics’ have lost £56,000 in real earnings since 2008 as a result of their pay not keeping up with inflation

The TUC has warned that working people are facing “two decades of lost pay” unless the government changes course and gets pay rising up and down the country – starting with a decent pay rise for workers across the public sector.

Bumper bonuses for City executives

This analysis comes after a record-breaking year for bonuses in the City – as average payouts in the City have dwarfed average pay in almost all sectors.

The TUC estimates the latest annual bonus (2022) for workers in the finance and insurance sector is a whopping £18.7bn. The TUC says this is likely concentrated among the better paid – and markedly more than the cost of giving all public sector workers an inflation proof pay rise.

The Conservative government lifted the cap on bankers’ bonuses in September, allowing bankers to “help themselves” to unlimited pay outs.

Under previous policy, an employee’s bonus could be no bigger than 100% of their annual pay, or 200% if there is approval from shareholders.

Significant bonuses are common for high-paid City executives – and come on top of salaries.

The TUC highlights that there are also many low-paid workers in financial services, who get much smaller sums.

Key workers “forced to take action”

The TUC says striking health workers have been “forced to take action to defend their living standards” after more than a decade of pay cuts.

Nurses, paramedics and physiotherapists are all taking strike action for decent pay this winter.

Recent TUC polling showed three in five patients with diagnosed health conditions support health workers going on strike to defend their pay and living standards.

The union body says that the Conservative decision to hold down public sector pay has left workers “hugely exposed to the cost of living crisis” and deepened the staffing crisis in the NHS, education and other public services.

TUC polling published in October revealed that 1 in 3 public sector workers are actively considering quitting or have already taken steps to do so.

TUC General SecretaryPaul Nowaksaid:

“At a time when ministers are telling dedicated public servants they can’t have a pay rise, they’re letting city executives take home ever bigger sums.

“It’s not right. We can’t live in a country where nurses are having to use food banks to get by, while bankers are allowed to help themselves to unlimited bumper bonuses.

“This all boils down to political choices. Ministers could be taxing wealth and giving all of our public sector workers a decent pay rise.

“But instead, they are choosing to inflict more pay misery on our nurses, paramedics and midwives.

“Let’s be clear. Without decent pay rises, many more of our dedicated key workers in the public sector will vote with their feet and leave their professions for good.”

On strikes, Nowak added:

“Nobody takes strike action lightly. But workers have been pushed to breaking point by years of pay cuts.

“They have been forced to take action to defend their living standards and the services they provide.

“But so far, ministers seem more interested in escalating disputes than resolving them.

“Instead of undermining workers’ ability to bargain for better pay and conditions by attacking the right to strike, the government should focus on getting wages rising up and down the country – starting with workers across the public sector.“

The press release issued by the TUC on 23 January 2023.

• New research reveals many NHS premises still contain asbestos – including hospitals
• Survey carried out by Labour Research Department (LRD) finds two thirds of surveyed NHS premises and buildings still contain asbestos, despite its use being banned 23 years ago

• Asbestos still present in at least 451 buildings in London – more than half of those surveyed
• TUC calls for new legislation requiring removal of all asbestos from public buildings

The TUC and a group of MPs have today (Monday) warned hundreds of NHS buildings across London still contain asbestos – including hospitals.

The research was carried out by Labour Research Department (LRD) for the TUC and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health.

Asbestos is still the biggest workplace killer according to the Health and Safety Executive, and Britain has the highest rates of mesothelioma cases in the world. But new research reveals that the majority of NHS buildings – including hospitals, health centres, blood donor clinics and GP surgeries – still contain asbestos more than 23 years since its use was banned in new buildings.

Asbestos report 

The survey found at least 451 premises with asbestos in London during the first half of 2022.

The TUC says the extent of asbestos presence in the research sample raises concern for the wellbeing of workers and members of the public using these premises.

Action needed   

The TUC says the current Tory government has neglected its responsibility to provide safe workplaces in public buildings, “turning a blind eye” to the extent of asbestos still present – putting workers at risk.

The TUC is calling for new legislation requiring removal of all asbestos from public buildings, rather than the current policy of “managing” it.

The union body is calling on a future Labour government to include asbestos removal as part of a large-scale retrofit programme of all public buildings, funded by its Climate Investment Pledge.

There is no safe threshold of exposure to asbestos fibres – inhalation even of small quantities can lead to mesothelioma decades after exposure. This means that where asbestos is still present, it is not safe to assume there will be no disturbances that put working people in danger.

The TUC says the only way we will eradicate asbestos cancer is with a legal duty to safely remove asbestos, and a clear timetable for its eradication. Only then can we ensure that future generations will not have to experience the same deadly epidemic from asbestos-related diseases that we suffer today.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Asbestos exposure continues to cause thousands of deaths every year. Yet asbestos is still with us in workplaces and public buildings across the country. As a result, decades after the use of asbestos was banned, hundreds of thousands of workers, patients and members of the public are still put at risk of exposure every day.

“The only way to protect today’s workers and future generations is through the safe removal of asbestos from all workplaces and public buildings. We need national government to work with local authorities on a plan to remove it from every last building.”

Ian Lavery MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Asbestos, said: 

“These shocking figures expose the extent of risk to dangerous carcinogenic exposure in the very places designed to nurture our health. Thousands of people are dying every year of asbestos-related illness, with thousands more being diagnosed. If asbestos is in a building, it will at some point become dangerous if it’s disturbed, so we need plans in place for its removal from all public buildings.”

The press release issued by the TUC on 20 January 2023.

• NEW poll shows three in five patients support striking health workers and majority of parents support teachers taking strike action
• TUC says polling shows patients and parents see right through government’s “divide and rule tactics”

Patients with health conditions overwhelmingly support key workers in the NHS going on strike to defend their pay and living standards, according to new polling published by the TUC today (Thursday).

The polling – conducted by YouGov for the TUC – shows that more than three in five (61%) of those diagnosed with a health condition support workers taking strike action in the NHS.

Nurses, paramedics, ambulance staff, and physiotherapists are all striking for a decent pay rise – with more strikes on the table as government continues to refuse to meaningfully negotiate with unions on pay.

The polling also shows that the majority of parents (53%) support teachers striking.

Teachers are set to strike in England and Wales for a decent pay rise, after NEU members overwhelmingly voted for strike action.

Decade of pay loss

The TUC says the large-scale support for striking workers amongst patients and parents shows that they “see right through the government’s divide-and-rule tactics”.

The union body adds that the support also shows they recognise that the key workers who got Britain through the pandemic are “owed a decent pay rise”.

Key workers in the public sector have faced more than a decade of collapsing earnings, as successive Conservative-led governments have held down their pay year on year.

• Nurses have lost £42,000 in real earnings since 2008 – the equivalent of £3,000 a year.
• Midwives have lost £56,000 – the equivalent of £4,000 a year.
• Paramedics have lost £56,000 – the equivalent of £4,000 a year.

In the education sector, teachers and school leaders have lost around a quarter of their pay since 2010 according to separate analysis by the NEU, NASUWT and NAHT.

Striking workers forced to take action

The TUC warns that striking workers have been ”left with no choice” and “forced to take action” after more than a decade of pay cuts.

The Conservatives’ decision to hold down public sector pay has left workers “hugely exposed to the cost of living crisis” and deepened the staffing crisis in the NHS, education and other public services.

TUC polling published in October revealed that one in three public sector workers are actively considering quitting or have already taken steps to do so.

The latest NHS data shows that NHS England is operating short of almost 130,000 staff due to unfilled vacancies. This represents a vacancy rate of 9.7%.

In the education sector, one in eight newly qualified teachers (NQTs) leave the profession after one year in the job, with almost one-third of NQTs (31%) leaving within their first five years.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Key workers in the public sector helped get the country through the pandemic.

“But many are now being forced to take action to defend their living standards as ministers continue to refuse meaningful talks with unions on public sector pay.

“This polling shows that patients and parents see right through the divide and rule tactics of this Conservative government.

“These are people that really rely on our public services – they know all too well the damage done by year on year pay cuts.

“They are fed up with ministers stonewalling negotiations – and they think that workers across the public sector are owed a decent pay rise.

“After years of brutal pay cuts, nurses, teachers and millions of other public servants have seen their living standards decimated – and are set to face more pay misery.

“And as well as holding down public sector worker pay – the government is now attacking their fundamental right to strike.

“It is little wonder morale is through the floor and many key workers are considering leaving their jobs for good.

“It’s time this Conservative government listened to patients, parents and the rest of the British public.

“Ministers must give workers across the public sector the pay rise they deserve and stop their damaging attacks on the right to strike.”

The press release issued by the TUC on 19 January 2023.

We are appalled by the UK Government’s decision to block the Scotland Gender Recognition Reform Bill, legislation that simply seeks to make the process for legally recognising a trans man or trans women’s gender kinder and more straight forward.

Trade unionists are champions of equality, including equality for trans and non-binary people. And we recognise the need to change the process for gender recognition, which is often lengthy, humiliating and expensive.

We need urgent reform to the outdated and stigmatising Gender Recognition Act 2004 across the whole of the UK. We need a simplified, free, statutory gender recognition process based on self-declaration while maintaining the Equality Act 2010 as it stands.

The government must support the rights of gender non-binary people at work and in wider society.

All LGBT+ people should know that trade unions are here to defend them in the workplace and beyond. We are sending solidarity to trans people and are committed to continue fighting to defend and extend the rights of all LGBT+ workers across the UK.

TUC LGBT+ Committee

The press release issued by the TUC on 19 January 2023.

The press release issued by the TUC on 18 January 2023.

Commenting on today’s (Wednesday) inflation data, which show CPI inflation at 10.5% and RPI inflation at 13.4%, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Inflation remains higher than the pay rises most workers are getting. And far higher than the pay offers Rishi Sunak is trying to force onto millions of workers without fair negotiations.

“Instead of rushing in unfair and unworkable laws that attack the right to strike, ministers should be fully focused on public sector pay negotiations. It’s taking far too long for them to come to the table with credible offers.”

The press release issued by the TUC on 17 January 2023.

Commenting on today’s (Tuesday) labour market figures, which show real wages falling at an annual rate of 3.8% in November (on CPI measure), TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Workers have been losing hundreds of pounds from their annual pay over the last year. But in the public sector, Conservative ministers are dragging their heels on meaningful negotiations. That’s why staff have had no choice but to use their right to strike to defend their pay.

“The Conservative government will not resolve pay disputes by rushing in new laws that attack the right to strike. The best way to settle disputes is around the negotiating table – and with credible pay offers that protect workers from rising prices.”