Young Workers Testimony - Trades Union Congress

In November of last year we celebrated young workers months and wanted to take this opportunity to share an insightful testimony from a young worker on behalf of the Trades Union Congress.

Alex Graham writes:

Low pay, zero-hours contracts and poor treatment at work are still rampant. Even where full time contracts exist, the lack of employment rights from day one of a contract mean that many young workers are exploited and insecure at work.  The inequalities highlighted by the pandemic are still evident and sexual, racial and homophobic harassment at work is still as much of a problem as ever. 

On top of this, 2021 has seen the end of the furlough scheme that so many young workers relied on for an income when jobs just weren’t available. And we’ve seen the scourge of fire and rehire - where an employer sacks its staff and then re-engages them on much worse terms and conditions - rear its ugly head. That’s not to mention the national insurance tax hikes that will leave many on low incomes worse off. It’s not difficult to see why so many young workers suffer with their mental health as a result. 

Life for your average young worker in 2021 is a challenge. But while it would be easy to feel overwhelmed by all of this, we’ve seen in the past how we can get real change by coming together and fighting for it through our trade unions. It’s the only way that working people have ever achieved positive change. 

At every meeting of the Young Workers Forum, I’ve seen the enthusiasm and ideas that our members have to make positive change in their workplaces. They want to do it because they understand the effect that the balance of power between employers and employees has on their lives.  

We’re organised 

Organisation is so important in building our movement and that’s why I’m proud that the Young Workers Forum have adopted ‘Organising Young Workers’ as our priority campaign for this year.  

I’m proud too that we’ve already put this campaign into action. Members of the Young Workers Forum will be taking part in the pilot of the TUC’s online organising programme.    

The first cohort is going through the programme this November and we’re hoping to roll it out more widely in future.

And remember, young workers aren’t the future of the Trade Union Movement - we are the Trade Union Movement!

Ramsbottom IMPACT! Action - Christmas Day Dinner

The YCW wants to congratulate the work done over Christmas by the Ramsbottom IMPACT! Group. Their efforts to give up a large part of their Christmas Day to provide food and company for those on their own or unable to get out and celebrate was an inspiration.

The Group worked collaboratively with others in the community to plan and organise the day over several weeks. They needed to arrange who was going to be supported during the day, who could drive round and do deliveries and of course, who could cook!

After a very difficult two year for many vulnerable and isolated people, it was an excellent reminder of the power of young leaders using the SEE, JUDGE, ACT Method to take authentic Christian action.

Marc Besford, National President, said: “I have visited the Ramsbottom Group several times and always been impressed at their spirit of action and reflection of the world around them. This is yet another example of their leadership skills growing and developing within the Movement. I look forward to visiting again soon.”

Below is the poster used by the Group to advertise their Christmas Dinner event.

Living Wage 20th Anniversary Reflection

As an accredited Real Living Wage employer, we wanted to share a reflection from the Real Living Wage Foundation on their 20th anniversary of being in operation:

As we approach the New Year, it's worth taking a moment to reflect on and celebrate all we have achieved in the year that's gone. Not only was 2021 the 20th anniversary of the Living Wage campaign, which originally began in 2001, but together we made sure a record-breaking number of workers and their families were paid a real Living Wage, and are able to meet the huge rises in living costs we’re witnessing.

Here’s some of the other things our movement achieved this year:

• A record-breaking 2,533 businesses accredited this year, bringing our movement to over 9,000 Living Wage Employers, which now includes half of the FSTE 100;

• 67,900 additional workers saw a pay rise this year, bringing our total to 300,000 workers lifted onto the Living Wage;

• £1.7bn has gone back into the pockets of low-paid workers; and

• 7 more employers showed leadership by signing up to become Living Hours Employers.

The YCW is also proud to be a Real Living Hours employer too and looks forward to promoting this to others.

Pope Francis Prays For Young Workers Hit By Covid

Pope Francis prayed last week for workers “crushed by an unbearable burden” amid the COVID-19 recession. At his Jan. 12 general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, the pope asked for a moment’s silence for workers who took their lives after losing their jobs amid the pandemic.

As the YCW, we have heard many stories from young people across our Movement about how the pandemic has had a huge impact on their lives. Through our partnerships and collaborations with others, we have started to collate these experiences and attempt to influence change at the highest levels.

Marc Besford, National President said: “Recently, we participated in a summit across the Christian Churches and put forward the authentic experiences of young people around mental health and loneliness. It was therefore welcome that the Holy Father has chosen to highlight the impact on workers, particularly those who are younger and more insecure.”

Pope Francis commented in his audience: “Many young people, many fathers and mothers, experience the ordeal of not having a job that allows them to live tranquilly, they live from day to day. And how often the search for work becomes so desperate that it drives them to the point of losing all hope and the desire to live,” he said.

In these times of pandemic, many people have lost their jobs — we know this — and some, crushed by an unbearable burden, reached the point of taking their own lives. I would like to remember each of them and their families today.”

The pope also dedicated his general audience to St. Joseph the carpenter.

Anniversary of Cardinal Manning

Today marks the anniversary of the death of Henry Edward, Cardinal, Manning the second archbishop of Westminster.

He worked tirelessly towards building a better and fairer society for all including workers and was especially influential in Catholic social teaching and was a strong influence on Leo XIII's encyclical "Rerum Novarum" which articulated clearly the importance of work and of workers rights.

He was instrumental in settling the London Dock Strike of 1889, which resulted in victory for the 100,000 strikers and established strong trade unions amongst London dockers, one of which became the nationally important Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' Union. The strike is widely considered a milestone in the development of the British labour movement, symbolising the growth of the New Unions of casual, unskilled and poorly paid workers, in contrast to the craft unions already in existence. The strike helped to draw attention to the problem of poverty in Victorian Britain and the dockers' cause attracted considerable public sympathy.

President Marc Besford said: “Many in the YCW movement see his leadership at that time as a symbol of how the power of faith and commitment to social justice can lead to significant improvements in life for those who need it. This tradition carries on to this day, with many YCW groups taking action - inspired by the Gospel - to improve our world.”

ChurchWorks Summit On Covid Recovery

Later this month, the YCW will be participating in an important summit, alongside representatives from across the Christian faith to discuss priorities for Covid Recovery. We will be there to share the voice and experiences of young people, particularly those in the world of work or studying.

There are three workstreams which have been prioritised following the working group discussions and will include:

• 1. Mental health and wellbeing

  • Exploring a possible national campaign promoting wellbeing both within the Church and in the community

  • Exploring the role of faith within social prescribing and links to wellbeing-related church groups

• 2. Children and young people

  • Exploring possible Church involvement in the pilot roll-out of Family Hubs

  • Exploring the churches' role in strengthening youth work provision and advocacy to increase youth work funding

• 3. Social isolation

  • Exploring strategic volunteering opportunities related to the NHS

  • Exploring the role of faith within social prescribing and links to social isolation-related church groups

Our main focus will be on Section 2, where we have been helping so far to shape the discussions and contribute to the overall outlook.

Marc Besford, National President, said: “We are proud to be at the heart of this discussion and response to Covid. So many young people have been impacted by the pandemic and need their voices heard. There will be key decision makers at this event, so we want to take the opportunity to push for an ambitious and compassionate response to the issues facing young people.”

Here is the full agenda for the summit.