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date: 19 April 2010

embargo: For immediate release

TUC asks employers to be flexible with employees stranded abroad

Commenting today (Monday) on the thousands of UK citizens stranded abroad and now missing work because of the volcanic ash, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'It seems unfair for employers to penalise staff because of events outside their control.

'We would ask bosses to be sympathetic to the plight of their employees and be flexible in their approach to resolving the situation. Docking wages is an extreme reaction.

'Employers will have a variety of different leave arrangements in place. In situations where staff have run out of leave, it would seem fairer to come to some arrangement of allowing employees to use leave days from the following year, if employers are not prepared to allow staff extra time off.'

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Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
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Press release (300 words) issued 19 Apr 2010