Tracy Gilbert – Usdaw’s Regional Officer for Scotland says: “The ability of workers to cope with energy and price shocks has been eroded by the longest and deepest squeeze on wages in modern history and by attacks on social security. Women in Scotland are disproportionately affected because they are more likely to be poor. Women take more unpaid time out of the labour market and cuts in public services are replaced by women's unpaid labour.
“While many of the solutions lie with the UK Government, it is clear that the Scottish Government can do more to boost incomes and reduce living costs using devolved powers. Investment in public transport to reduce transport and fuel costs, in social housing and in social infrastructure, particularly care services, should be a high priority for the Scottish Government."
Usdaw is calling on the Scottish Labour Party to support and promote:
- Awareness of and action on the gendered impact of the cost of living crisis;
- benefits to keep pace with inflation;
- abolition of the benefits cap and two-child limit;
- conversion of Universal Credit advances into non-repayable grants;
- increases in ESA, Jobseekers' Allowance and Statutory Sick Pay;
- ending no recourse to public funds, which excludes many migrant women from support.
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades.
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
@UsdawUnion