Government must act now to save jobs, says Wales TUC

Commenting on the latest employment figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today (Tuesday), Wales TUC General Secretary Shavanah Taj said:

“These are worrying figures. With state support coming to an end the threat of mass unemployment is very real. Once again it’s young workers, school and college leavers attempting to enter into the Labour market for the first time and women and younger workers, predominantly in the retail and hospitality sector facing the sharp end. Government must act now to protect and create jobs.

“That means building on the furlough scheme by setting up a new job retention and upskilling deal, to keep people employed at firms that have a viable future. We’ve written a joint letter to the UK Treasury with the Future Generations Commissioner today calling for such a scheme to be quickly established.”

“And it means creating good new jobs too. Recent TUC analysis shows the government could create 59,000 jobs in two years by fast-tracking green infrastructure investment..

“When the crisis began, the Chancellor said he would do ‘whatever it takes’. He must keep that promise.”

Turning point 

Commenting on recent TUC analysis that shows BME workers have been asked to “shoulder more risk” during the pandemic, Wales TUC General Secretary Shavanah Taj said: “Coronavirus has exposed the huge inequalities BME women and men face at work – with many forced to shoulder greater risk during this crisis.

“BME workers are hugely over-represented in undervalued, low-paid and casualised , zero hours jobs with fewer rights and no sick pay. During the pandemic many BME people have paid for these poor working conditions with their lives.

“This crisis has to be a turning point. Government must challenge the systemic racism and inequality that holds BME people back at work, and beyond.”