KEY WORKERS ARE BEDROCK – TIME WE DID THEM JUSTICE

KEY workers are the bedrock of our society. The Covid pandemic has forced a collective acknowledgement for just how much we all owe to all our key workers – healthcare staff, care workers, cleaners, retail and delivery workers, public transport workers, teachers and support staff, energy workers and many more.

It is utterly repugnant that over two million key workers live on minimum wage. A wage of £8.72 an hour is a pittance.

We need to radically change the economic system that treats key workers as low value.

The pandemic has shown key workers to be those as undertaking work of the highest social value.

The health crisis demands that government act with urgency to:

● Raise the minimum wage – which will increase pay for two million key workers overnight

● Give meaningful pay rises to the four million key workers in the public sector

● Ban zero hours contracts which penalise key workers in health, social care, and retail.

Key workers are getting this country through the pandemic. Key workers headed out to work when the rest of the country stayed at home - putting themselves in harm’s way and their families at risk. As a country we now need to act in support of key workers and ensure all enjoy decent pay and terms and conditions.

It is time for government to act. Key workers deserve decent pay and terms and conditions.

Ministers turned up to clap for key workers every Thursday throughout the lockdown. Now it is time for them to translate that gratitude and respect into action and ensure all key workers earn a decent wage. We must back our key workers with money.