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date: 19 May 2009

embargo: 00.01hrs Wednesday 20 May 2009

Fears recession is having an unfair impact on disabled workers

Fears that the recession is having a disproportionately large impact on disabled workers will be discussed at the TUC's annual disability conference in London today (Wednesday).

Previous recessions have shown that disabled workers can face discrimination and unfair selection for redundancy, says the TUC. With fewer chances of securing alternative work, the union organisation believes it is vital to keep disabled workers in employment during the economic downturn.

Unemployment is predicted to increase to almost three million by 2010 and disabled workers are particularly at risk when unemployment rises, says the TUC. Increased unemployment for disabled workers can lead to social divide, increase the prospect of discrimination and can lead to real long-term hardship for disabled people, the TUC believes.

Speaking at the conference today, TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O'Grady will say: 'By this time next year, it is likely that unemployment will have surged past the three million mark.

'As in previous recessions it will be disabled workers who will be disproportionately affected: by funding pressures on key services, with the public finances now deep in the red; by discrimination during redundancy selection, based perhaps on absence records; and by an even greater reluctance on the part of employers to meet their obligations towards disabled staff.

'It's our job as unionists to be alert to these dangers; to hold employers and indeed ministers to account for the actions they take. Otherwise we face a reversal of the slow, painful progress we have made over the past decade in increasing the employment rate among disabled people.

'Places like South Wales and the North East of England are still picking up the pieces of the Thatcher recessions of the early '80s and '90s - with a higher number of incapacity benefit claimants than anywhere else - and we simply cannot afford a repeat performance this time.'

Turning to the Government's welfare reform proposals, Frances O'Grady will say: 'Too many people - including some with disabilities - will still suffer the consequences of reforms that pander more to tabloid rhetoric about spongers and layabouts than they do to the real needs of some of the most vulnerable groups in our society.

'The TUC is absolutely determined that disabled workers will not be victimised by welfare reform; that they should not suffer unfairly in this recession; and that they must not be disadvantaged by the business lobby's misplaced belief that equality is somehow a luxury we can no longer afford.

'We will continue to support unions to support their disabled members. We will continue to help unions build a new, nationwide network of equality reps. And we will continue to work with unions in the battle to secure justice for Remploy workers.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The TUC Disability Conference takes place from 11am-6pm on Wednesday 20 May, and from 9.30am-5.30pm on Thursday 21 May at Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS. For more information please contact Peter Purton on 020 7467 1271.

- Speakers include: Minister for Disabled People Jonathan Shaw MP, TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O'Grady, Chair of the TUC Disability Committee Mark Fysh, Barrister Catherine Casserley and RADAR representative Caroline Ellis.

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Brenchley T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (700 words) issued 20 May 2009