‘Time for better pay’ petition

A petition, ‘time for better pay’, has been launched by the general secretary of the shopworker’s trade union, Usdaw, calling for the Government to strengthen workers’ rights. This petition was launched by Usdaw surveyed more than 10,500 members  about issues surrounding low pay, short-hours contracts and insecure work and found the following:

• Over the past five years, 92% of those surveyed have seen no improvement in their financial situation.
• Over the past 12 months 76% of low-paid workers have had to rely on unsecured borrowing to pay everyday bills.
• 63% of people believe that financial worries were having an impact on their mental health.

The changes that the petition is calling on the Government to introduce:

• A minimum wage of at least £10 per hour for all workers.
• A minimum contract of 16 hours per week for everyone who wants it.
• A contract based on an individual’s normal hours of work.
• An end to zero-hours contracts.

Shop workers are currently among the lowest paid workers, so this petition has the potential to benefit the employees at Walsall’s shops, including at Morrisons, ASDA and Tesco. An end to zero-hours contracts would also provide much greater income stability for many workers in this sector.

To view the petition, click here.