News / Trades Union Congress
Union body calling for better pay for people who work night shifts
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is calling for better pay and conditions for night workers.
This would benefit the 252,000 people in the South West who regularly work through the night.
The union body is pushing the minimum wage for night workers to be raised to £15 an hour.
New analysis published by the TUC reveals that three in 10 (28 per cent) night-workers earn less than £10 and seven in 10 (69 per cent) earn less than £15 an hour, roughly the UK median wage.
The Trades Union Congress is calling for better pay and conditions for night workers. This would benefit 252,000 people across the South West. Photo: Bristol24/7
The union body has said that there is no evidence of a ‘pay premium’ for people working overnight. This despite the heightened health risks that come with night work and the disruption it causes to people’s lives.
The union body says the government must improve pay and conditions for night-workers. The TUC says this should include:
- A £15 an hour minimum wage for all staff as soon as possible.
- The introduction of sector-wide ‘fair pay agreements’ in sectors like social care to ensure minimum standards on pay, working conditions and training.
- Carers being paid for all their time on sleep-in shifts.
The TUC is also calling for a number of measures to protect and compensate night workers. These include:
- Pay to properly reflect the likely additional costs of childcare and inconvenience that night shifts can entail.
- New legislation to ensure that workers always have sufficient notice of their shift patterns so they can make arrangements well in advance.
- Compensation for shift changes at short notice.
TUC South West’s regional secretary, Nigel Costley, said: “We all owe Britain’s night workers a huge debt for keeping the country running while we are asleep.
“Working through the night is tough – with night-workers at higher risk of health problems and disruption to their daily lives.
“But the truth is that many of those who work overnight – especially in key sectors like care – are on low pay and insecure contracts.
“As the cost of living crisis escalates, ministers must do more to ensure all night workers get the pay they deserve.
“That means raising the minimum wage to £15 an hour as soon as possible and improving working conditions so all night workers are treated with dignity at work.”
Photos: Bristol247
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