Shopworkers union Usdaw has called for a £10 per hour minimum wage for all workers over 18.
The move came as the union’s General Secretary Paddy Lillis (pictured) launched a ‘Time for Better Pay’ campaign at the TUC congress.
The campaign also seeks minimum contracts of 16 hours per week for all employees who want it; the right to a contract based on an individual’s normal hours of work; and an end to the misuse of zero-hour contracts.
Usdaw surveyed over 10,000 people working and in retail and related sectors to discover the issues that they face due to low pay, short-hours contracts and insecure work.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, commented: “As inflation continues to outstrip average earnings, low paid workers and their families are under pressure to make ends meet. With many forced to claim in-work benefits and take second jobs, it’s clear that the Government’s so-called ‘National Living Wage’ is not a wage that people can live on. So our demand for a £10 an hour minimum is fair and reasonable.
“Although there tends to be a focus on zero hours contracts, short-hours contracts can be just as exploitative. One in four of the workers we surveyed are contracted for just 16 hours or less per week. Many workers are regularly working extra hours that aren’t guaranteed in their contracts, leaving them extremely vulnerable. Our findings make clear that this is causing severe mental health issues for working people.”
