Wales TUC welcomes Childcare announcement but voices concern over future

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Wales TUC has welcomed the return of the Welsh Government Childcare Offer following an interruption for the Coronavirus Childcare Assistance Scheme but warns that serious challenges remain for workers in Wales.

The Deputy Minister for Health and Social Care, Julie Morgan confirmed earlier this week that the Childcare Offer for Wales will reopen for new applications from mid-August.  This will be a welcome relief to working parents of 3 and 4 year olds.

However, Wales TUC has raised concerns for the future of the workplace as the latest official statistics show that 58% of business in Wales have seen a decrease in turnover due to coronavirus.  This is likely to be compounded by the UK Government’s furlough scheme ending in October, which will add to the strain for businesses.

Wales TUC is working with affiliate unions to establish an early warning system which will allow us to engage with workplaces where there is a threat of redundancy as early as possible. We will be working with employers to make sure that redundancies, job losses should be equality impact assessed to make sure that they are fairly applied across workers and not impacting unfairly on disabled workers, those with caring responsibilities or those who have had to shield.  Wales TUC are urging employers to carry out Equality Impact Assessments before taking action on redundancies.

Shavanah Taj, Wales TUC General Secretary says:

“I’m pleased that there is now certainty for working parents to allow them to go back to work and know that they have the financial support they were expecting for their children.”

“Childcare is a major barrier for working parents and guardians and it’s essential that it’s in place to allow workers to be able to do their jobs. The ONS has reported that parents appear to have been fitting their work around their childcare obligations during the Covid crisis, often working long beyond their usual working hours just to fit in caring. This can’t become a pattern. Work is only productive when we also have rest and relaxation alongside it.”

“What we need to work towards now is a fairer workplace.  This includes giving all staff the right to work as flexibly as possible from their first day in the job and ensuring our parental leave is fit for purpose.

“With many businesses struggling we’re concerned about the workers that will be facing redundancies.  We’re working on schemes to help workers who are at risk of redundancies but we want to make sure that they are applied fairly and equally too”.

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TUC Cymru yn croesawu cyhoeddiad am ofal plant ond yn lleisiau pryderu am y dyfodol

Mae TUC Cymru wedi croesawu dychweliad cynnig gofal plant Llywodraeth Cymru ar ôl torri ar draws cynllun cymorth gofal plant coronafeirws, ond mae’n rhybuddio bod yma heriau difrifol o hyd i weithwyr yng Nghymru.

Cadarnhaodd y Dirprwy Weinidog dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol, Julie Morgan, yn gynharach yr wythnos hon y bydd y cynnig gofal plant i Gymru yn ailagor ar gyfer ceisiadau newydd o ganol mis Awst ymlaen.  Bydd hyn yn rhyddhad i rieni sy’n gweithio efo plant 3 a 4 oed.

Fodd bynnag, mae TUC Cymru wedi codi pryderon am ddyfodol y gweithle gan fod yr ystadegau swyddogol diweddaraf yn dangos bod 58% o fusnesau Cymru wedi gweld gostyngiad mewn trosiant oherwydd coronafeirws.  Mae hyn yn debygol o gael ei waethygu wrth i gynllun furlough Llywodraeth y DU dod i ben ym mis Hydref, a fydd yn ychwanegu at y straen i fusnesau.

Mae TUC Cymru yn gweithio gydag undebau i sefydlu system rhybudd cynnar a fydd yn caniatáu iddynt ymgysylltu â gweithleoedd lle mae bygythiad o ddiswyddiadau cyn gynted â phosibl. Bydden nhw’n gweithio gyda chyflogwyr i wneud yn siŵr y bod diswyddiadau yn cael eu hasesu o ran effaith ar gydraddoldeb er mwyn sicrhau eu bod yn cael eu gweithredu’n deg ar draws gweithwyr a dim yn effeithio’n annheg ar weithwyr anabl, y rhai sydd â chyfrifoldebau gofalu neu’r rhai sy’n gwarchod eu hunain.  Mae TUC Cymru yn annog cyflogwyr i gynnal asesiadau o’r effaith ar gydraddoldeb cyn cymryd camau i ddileu swyddi.

Dywedodd Shavanah Taj, Ysgrifennydd Cyffredinol TUC Cymru:

“Rwy’n falch bod sicrwydd yn awr i rieni sy’n gweithio bydd yn eu galluogi i fynd yn ôl i’r gwaith a gwybod eu bod yn cael y cymorth ariannol yr oeddent yn ei ddisgwyl ar gyfer eu plant.”

“Mae gofal plant yn rhwystr mawr i rieni sy’n gweithio a gwarcheidwaid ac mae’n hanfodol ei fod ar gael i alluogi gweithwyr i allu gwneud eu gwaith. Mae’r SYG wedi adrodd ei bod yn ymddangos bod rhieni wedi bod yn ffitio eu gwaith o gwmpas eu rhwymedigaethau gofal plant yn ystod argyfwng Covid, gan weithio ymhell y tu hwnt i’w horiau gwaith arferol.  All hyn ddim dod yn batrwm. Mae gwaith ond yn gynhyrchiol pan fyddwn hefyd efo’r amser i orffwys ac yn ymlacio.”

“Yr hyn y mae angen i ni weithio tuag ato nawr yw gweithle tecach.  Mae hyn yn cynnwys rhoi’r hawl i bob aelod o staff weithio mor hyblyg â phosibl o’u diwrnod cyntaf yn y swydd a sicrhau bod ein  polisïau absenoldeb rhiant yn addas i’r diben.

“Gyda llawer o fusnesau’n cael trafferth, rydym yn pryderu am y gweithwyr a fydd yn wynebu diswyddiadau. Rydyn ni’n gweithio ar gynlluniau i helpu gweithwyr sydd mewn perygl o golli eu swyddi, ond rydyn ni am wneud yn siŵr eu bod nhw’n cael eu defnyddio’n deg ac yn gyfartal hefyd.”


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