Working Harder For Less Pay, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 02 Sep 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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Increased workload, pay, and stress are the biggest issues facing people at work, according to a TUC report.

What do workers want? - based on a YouGov poll of more than 2,500 workers - shows that:

- Nearly half (46%) complained they had a heavier workload than before
- 42% said their pay has not kept pace with the cost of living
- Over a third of workers (39%) are facing increased levels of stress

Other key complaints include not getting the same pay as people doing similar jobs in other organisations (31%), poor promotion prospects (30%), lack of training (27%), unfair pay structures (26%), boring or repetitive work (24%) and longer hours. (23%).

A significant number of those interviewed for the report complained of serious problems at work. People reported concerns about bullying (14%), cuts in pension provision or inadequate pensions (10%), and an unsafe working environment (10%).

The most commonly reported discrimination was that of age (3%) ahead of gender (2%), and sexuality and race (both 1%).

Six out of ten workers, both union members and those not in a union, believe unions do a vital job - with only one in five saying unions are no longer relevant.

The top issue workers want unions to raise with government is more protection for the low paid against exploitation by employers (81%), followed by compulsory employer contributions to pensions (70%) and closing the pay gap between men and women (67%).

The big issues workers want their unions to raise with employers are pay (86%), pensions (80%), and safety (77%), followed by excessive workload (72%), stress (69%) and training (69%).

The survey is published ahead of the TUC annual congress which opens in Brighton next week.

UNISON