Toggle high contrast
Issue date
  • On May Day, TUC calls for a pay rise for all key workers
  • TUC outlines five ways the government can “really thank” frontline workers

More than 4 in 10 key workers in the North West – over 450,000 people – are paid less than £10 an hour, according to new TUC analysis published today (Friday).

Trade unionists around the country are marking May Day – also known as International Workers’ Day – with an online #ThankAWorker action, expressing gratitude to key workers who have made a difference to them during lockdown.

But the TUC believes that, as well as thanking workers, ministers must do more to improve their pay and conditions.

Underpaid and insecure

New TUC analysis, published today, reveals that nationally:

  • Nearly 4 in 10 key workers – an estimated 3.7 million people – are paid less than £10 an hour, compared to 3 in 10 non-key workers.
  • Women are much more likely than men to be key workers and, when they are, are much more likely to be on low pay. Of an estimated 9.8 million key workers, nearly two-thirds are women. And 2.5 million women key workers earn less than £10 an hour.
  • In social care, 7 in 10 workers earn less than £10 an hour.

Many key workers are also trapped in insecure work, without guaranteed hours and often missing out on basic rights like sick pay. For example, 1 in 4 workers in adult social care – one of the sectors hit hardest by the virus – are on zero-hours contracts, which mean their hours of work and pay packets can vary significantly.

Recognising key workers’ contribution

In recognition of the contribution of key workers during this period, the TUC is calling on government to:

  1. Increase the minimum wage to £10 an hour for everyone now.
  2. Deliver fair pay rises for our key workers and rewards for workers across the economy that restore what they've lost through ten years of cuts and slow growth.
  3. Ban zero-hours contracts and stamp out false self-employment
  4. Increase sick pay to the real living wage and make sure everyone can get it from day one.
  5. Bring outsourced workers like cleaners in the NHS back into the public sector on public sector terms and conditions.

TUC Regional Secretary Jay McKenna said:

“Everyone who’s kept Britain going through this pandemic deserves a pay rise.

“Frontline workers are putting their own health on the line to look after the rest of us. They’re caring for the sick and vulnerable, getting us to work, keeping our shelves stocked and our vital services running.

“Now it’s time for ministers to give key workers a proper thank you. And that means getting money into their pockets now.

“The government must give all key workers the pay, conditions and respect they deserve. That’s how to really thank the people who got us through this crisis.”

Editors note


- Details of the TUC’s #ThankAWorker social action are available here: https://www.tuc.org.uk/MayDay2020

- Estimates of key worker earnings are based on the government’s list of key occupations and data from the most recent Labour Force Survey (Q4, 2019). The TUC’s analysis suggests there are up to 9.8 million key workers, and that 3.7 million are paid below £10 per hour. This is based on linking four-digit occupation codes to government guidance, which is open to interpretation.

 

Employees

Number of employees earning less than £10 per hour

% of employees earning less than £10 per hour

All

27,743,698

9,361,640

34

Key workers

9,839,175

3,742,257

38

Non-key workers

17,904,523

5,619,383

31

Gender

All employees

Number of employees paid below £10 per hour

Key workers

Number of key workers paid below £10

% of key workers paid below £10

Key workers as % of all employees

Male

13,935,349

3,823,471

3,572,654

1,155,611

32

26

Female

13,808,349

5,538,169

6,266,521

2,586,646

41

45

Total

27,743,698

9,361,640

9,839,175

3,742,257

38

35

Regions

All employees

Number of employees earning less than £10 per hour

Key workers

Number of key workers paid below £10

% of key workers paid below £10

Key workers as % of all employees

North East

1,053,188

472,463

386,595

182,050

47

37

North West

3,068,221

1,140,943

1,145,114

465,995

41

37

Yorkshire and Humberside

2,196,641

875,896

834,481

372,782

45

38

East Midlands

2,045,904

792,088

749,432

302,969

40

37

West Midlands

2,434,228

967,515

871,257

363,878

42

36

East of England

2,619,757

838,026

892,433

312,245

35

34

London

3,807,241

823,063

1,133,458

329,437

29

30

South East

3,867,041

1,135,727

1,284,188

498,548

39

33

South West

2,327,124

852,448

868,782

329,693

38

37

Wales

1,270,830

456,354

510,506

187,281

37

40

Scotland

2,324,819

718,269

856,468

294,033

34

37

Northern Ireland

728,704

288,848

306,461

103,346

34

42

Total

27,743,698

9,361,640

9,839,175

3,742,257

38

35

- The Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set, published by Skills for Care, shows that 24 per cent of workers in adult social care sector are employed on zero-hours contracts: https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/adult-social-care-workforce-data/Workforce-intelligence/publications/national-information/The-state-of-the-adult-social-care-sector-and-workforce-in-England.aspx

- The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together more than 5.5 million working people who make up our 48 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living.

Contacts:

Jay McKenna

jmckenna@tuc.org.uk   
07788 414 578

 

Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin  
nnimhaoileoin@tuc.org.uk   
020 7467 1288  
07771 713574 

TUC press office 
media@tuc.org.uk  
020 7467 1248 

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

To access the admin area, you will need to setup two-factor authentication (TFA).

Setup now