TUC Campaigns

Campaigns

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  Demand a pay rise for key workers

  Key workers are getting this country through the pandemic. They headed out to work when the rest of the country stayed at home – putting themselves and their families at risk. It’s time to end the low pay and insecure work that leave many of these workers struggling, and make sure every key worker gets a payrise. The coronavirus crisis demonstrated how much we all owe to all our key workers - healthcare staff, care workers, retail and delivery workers, public transport workers, teachers and support staff, cleaners, energy workers and so many others. But the fact is, many of these workers - an estimated two million - are on the national minimum wage. And many are in insecure work, employed on zero hours contracts with poor terms and conditions. The government can raise the minimum wage. It can use its powers to ban zero hours contracts. And it directly sets the wages of four million key workers in the public sector. It’s time for ministers to act – and give all our key workers the payrise they have earned. Ministers turned up to clap for key workers every Thursday during the lockdown. Now is the time for them to show their support again.

  63,856 of 75,000 Signatures
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  Save UK Aviation

  The British aviation industry is in crisis. The dramatic decline in the numbers of people travelling because of Covid-19 has been devastating for the industry. Airports and airlines continue to haemorrhage the costs of maintaining and operating their runways and fleets, with no income in sight. Aviation workers deserve a government lifeline. They are a highly skilled, highly trained workforce that will be vital to the nation’s Covid response and recovery. Urgent Government support is needed for nearly one million people who are employed in this sector, from pilots, to cabin crew to ground staff, air traffic controllers, engineers, fire crew, security, caterers and cleaners. Aviation workers urgently need a dedicated package of support to protect their livelihoods before it’s too late. We also need a clear, coordinated Government policy for a greener recovery that involves the views of both workers and trades unions. At a time of continuing uncertainty about the regulation of the industry, post-Brexit, it is essential that the response to the pandemic does not leave aviation businesses in a worse position to compete in a new trading environment. Only a coordinated, clear plan based on a dedicated relief package to protect livelihoods will give aviation workers the stability they need through this crisis.

  4,390 of 5,000 Signatures
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  Reverse the cuts to union learning

  I saw first-hand the difference union learning made for hundreds of my workmates and friends. So when I heard the news that the government planned to cut the Union Learning Fund, I was devastated. I thought of everyone I’d supported as a union learning rep and what they would have missed out on without this programme. I thought of the workers getting our country through this crisis, who deserve an opportunity to access education and learn new skills in the workplace. It’s impossible to list all of the benefits of union learning I’ve seen, but I can honestly say it’s changed lives. Our training around mental health helped normalise talking about it at work. People who missed out at school learned English and maths in union learning courses, skills they’ll have for life. And those who came to learning centres and engaged in courses came back over and over again, earning apprenticeships and higher qualifications. And independent reviews have consistently found union learning to be effective and transformational for the workers who take part, their families, and communities. The government must reverse its decision immediately.

  51,118 of 75,000 Signatures

  Created by Sean Dixon
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  #SickPayForAll: Guarantee decent sick pay for every worker

  For those who do qualify, the current payment of £95.85 a week is not enough to pay the bills. 4 in 10 workers would be forced into financial hardship. At a time of skyrocketing cases, fixing statutory sick pay can prevent the spread of the virus and ensure millions can get paid to quarantine safely at home. No one who self-isolates should worry about putting food on the table. No one should feel forced to go to work instead of recovering from the virus. Everyone has the right to decent sick pay.

  37,037 of 40,000 Signatures
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  Ban zero-hours contracts

  Every worker should have the right to a contract that guarantees the hours they work and the conditions they need for a decent working life. Too often zero-hours contracts are being used to exploit workers. Hours are never guaranteed, making financial planning impossible and anxiety inevitable. If ministers are serious about building a country that works for everyone, they must act now to ensure every worker gets fair pay, decent rights and a voice at work.

  29,398 of 30,000 Signatures
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  Force companies to publish their Covid safety plans

  Under the government’s Covid-secure rules, employers have to complete a process called a risk assessment. They must list all the ways people could be put at risk when their business is running and what they’ll do to make them safer. The government says medium and larger employers should publish this important document in full on their website, for everyone to see, but fewer than 200 out of tens of thousands of businesses have actually done so. Workers and customers need reassurance. People want to work, but not if it means putting themselves and their loved ones at risk. If big companies are allowed to get away with keeping their risk assessments secret it undermines trust everywhere. If we force every employer to publish, we’ll be able to see and share what is working to keep people safe. And government will be able to crack down on employers that are putting their people at risk. Right now the government aren’t doing anything to make sure companies publish their risk assessments. But it wouldn’t be hard - for example, they already make companies publish gender pay gap information online for example. Business Secretary Alok Sharma needs to update the government’s Covid-secure guidelines to make it illegal for larger employers to keep their risk assessments secret. And they should have to put them on a central government website. This is how we make sure everyone returns to work as safely as possible.

  4,444 of 5,000 Signatures

  Created by TUC campaigns
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  End sexual harassment at work

  Sexual harassment has no place in the workplace. But every day, people across the UK are sexually harassed at work. 1 in 2 women have been sexually harassed at work. 2 in 3 LGBT workers have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace - that's 68%. Currently, there is no legal duty on employers to take proactive action to prevent this from happening. We're demanding a new, easily enforceable legal duty requiring employers to take all reasonable steps to protect workers from sexual harassment and victimisation. Our laws rely on individuals reporting but #ThisIsNotWorking. The onus is on the victim to report - which can be isolating, confusing and potentially traumatic. Four out of five don’t feel able to report sexual harassment to their employer. It should not be down to the individual to prevent and manage their harassment alone. Tell the government to act now and change the law. https://mcusercontent.com/8afd273cb98bce4cdfe3e8bd2/images/f826d43b-dd6d-4dcc-9034-7c5ab4949b6d.png

  12,578 of 15,000 Signatures
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  #SickPayForAll: Guarantee decent sick pay for every worker

  Workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak could have to go into quarantine or self-isolation to prevent the further spread of the virus. Right now millions of UK workers don’t earn enough to get this protection. And workers with existing sick pay schemes should be paid at the full rate offered by the employer while in isolation, and not be considered as on annual or unpaid leave. No one should worry about falling into debt or struggling to pay their bills when they’re ill or have to self-isolate. If people aren't compensated for the time spent at home, the risk people go to work and spread the illness increases. The government must ensure everyone gets decent sick pay, however much they earn.

  23,541 of 25,000 Signatures
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  Coronavirus: Nobody should lose jobs or pay because their kids' school is closed

  We support measures to reduce the spread and impact of coronavirus, but no-one should be out of pocket, or even worse out of a job, for doing the right thing. When schools and nurseries close for most children, loads of parents will be unable to work because they'll have to look after their kids. But current parental or dependants' leave arrangements are too short and in any case mean going without pay – something most people simply can’t afford. If we want people to follow government health advice, the government has to support parents. And they need to act fast to deal with this emergency. That means: * Keeping everyone on full pay, if their kids' school or childcare closes. * Reimbursing employers – just like they do for maternity pay. * No-one should be treated unfairly or lose their job because they need to look after their kids. Let's support workers in getting us through this epidemic, and make sure no-one loses their job or is pushed into hardship because their kids' school closes. __________ (If you're a working parent and concerned about your own work rights when schools close, find out more where you might stand under the current arrangements here: https://bit.ly/3928WfT )

  17,634 of 20,000 Signatures
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  Tell Trump: Hands off our NHS

  Our NHS is not for sale. Not now, not ever. NHS leaders warned weeks ago that hospitals and patients will pay billions more for drugs in a post-Brexit US-UK deal. Now we have it in black and white. Leaked government documents reveal that Trump and his big pharma cronies want to charge our NHS a lot more for vital drugs. And the US wants "total market access" to public services as a condition for opening new trade talks. That’s code for carving them up and selling them off to the highest bidder. It's never been more important to stand up for our NHS and demand that any future trade deals include cast iron guarantees for public services.

  5,813 of 6,000 Signatures