The TUC has called for an extension to the furlough scheme amid fears that unemployment will soar when the Government鈥檚 job support package ends at the end of this month.
Ahead of the organisation鈥檚 annual congress next week, the trade union group has called on ministers to extend the furlough scheme past the end of September and also maintain the 拢20 Universal Credit uplift that has helped thousands of key workers.
In an interview with ChronicleLive, TUC general secretary Frances O鈥橤rady said that the public鈥檚 desire to create a fairer economy after the pandemic remains strong, but the Government was 鈥渓ooking the other way鈥 on workers鈥 rights.
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She was speaking after TUC polling was released showing that low-paid workers are almost twice as likely as those on higher wages to have cut back on spending since the pandemic began, and four times as likely to say they cannot afford time off when sick.
She said: 鈥淥ne of the quickest and most flexible ways to deal with inequality is to give working people bigger pay packets, stronger rights and more bargaining power. That鈥檚 one of the easiest ways to make a difference. It鈥檚 clear from the work we鈥檝e done over the last year that what was already a massive problem of inequality has got even worse through the pandemic.
鈥淏ut this should be an opportunity to reset that balance. We should be hard-wiring fairness into what we do next and every decision the Government takes.鈥
In the light of goods shortages resulting from a lack of HGV drivers, Ms O鈥橤rady said the Government had missed a trick with the furlough system in not using the downtime and linking job support to retraining and increasing people鈥檚 skill levels.
But with around a million people still thought to be on furlough, she said: 鈥淎ll of us would pay a very high price for mass unemployment, not just the misery it inflicts on families but also the economy.
鈥淲e鈥檝e still got about a million people left on furlough in industries that have a good future and are viable. In some cases, like aviation, they鈥檙e strategically important. Let鈥檚 get around the table and make sure we don鈥檛 give up just as we鈥檙e getting to the final hurdle.
鈥淭hose industries and jobs need support and the alternative of unemployment will cost us all more in the long run.
鈥淚t鈥檚 young workers in a lot of these industries 鈥 arts and culture, hospitality, food and accommodation. These are very often young people鈥檚 jobs: they鈥檝e had a tough old time and it鈥檚 the very least we can do to support them.鈥
The TUC has called for the Government to ban zero hours contracts, raise the minimum wage to at
least 拢10, increase statutory sick pay to the real living wage level and
introduce new bargaining rights for workers.
The intervention comes just a few days after new research released suggested the 海角视频 could see an increase in unemployment when the furlough scheme comes to an end.
The Resolution Foundation said furlough had been an 鈥渙verwhelming success鈥 in protecting over 11 million jobs since last March, but there were signs that the labour market remains 鈥渇ar from full health鈥.
Elsewhere, business groups the British Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses have both issued warnings that the Government鈥檚 planned rise in National Insurance could cost jobs in the near future.
FSB chair Mike Cherry said: 鈥淭his regressive levy hits employers and sole traders without meaningful regard for how their business is performing. This increase will stifle recruitment, investment and efforts to upskill and improve productivity in the years ahead.鈥
