The Workers Union has hit out at the government’s plan to save jobs amid a fresh rise in Coronavirus.
In a strongly worded statement, chief spokesman described the Job Support Scheme (JSS) as ‘unimaginative and inadequate.’
The criticism will provide an unwelcome headache for officials still reeling from analysis published by the Resolution Foundation. The independent think-tank has argued that the JSS may slow job losses but cannot stop them.
The chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, Torsten Bell said the new scheme ‘will not live up to its promise to significantly reduce the rise in unemployment.’ He suggested that the increase in contributions from employers would play a major role in torpedoing its effectiveness.
The Workers Union Says
The news that Next chief Lord Wolfson has described thousands of retail jobs as ‘unviable’ should serve to focus government minds. This is the future for many working people across the board if the Tories do not wake up. The Job Support Scheme is an inadequate measure that will not prevent the looming jobs crisis. And this failure will have a generational effect that substantially limits opportunities for young people.
We’re already halfway there. Research published by HMRC indicates that young people have been hammered by COVID. Around 7 percent of those in the 17-24 age range have been made redundant because of the virus. At the same time, unemployment amongst young people has risen to 13.1 percent.
The government will say that they are looking after the interests of the young. They will point to the Kickstart scheme as a way of persuading employers to offer high quality work placements. But this is simply not enough.
We need to see policies that set out in detail the government’s jobs recovery plan. If common sense prevails, this could be a chance to press the reset button and deliver a real boost to jobs, training, and skills.
If not, then Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak should not be surprised when the country holds them to account.
The Workers Union – Britain’s hardest working union
