Chancellor must help Ukraine by ensuring sanctions can be enforced and protecting UK families from fuel price rises
We join the global union movement in calling for peace and urge all governments to reach a negotiated solution through diplomacy.
If you want to help support Ukrainian trade unions in their efforts to support people on the ground you can donate through the International trade Union Congress. We believe there is more the UK government can do to secure peace, democracy, security, and human and trade union rights for all in Ukraine, Russia and across Europe. And the Chancellor’s spring statement is a vital opportunity to take action.
We have written to Rishi Sunak calling for him to step up financial measures to support the Ukrainian people, and to provide more help to families facing the impact of the conflict on the cost-of-living crisis in the UK.
Our letter calls on the Chancellor to:
-
Ensure that sanctions are effective by increasing enforcement funding for measures in the economic crime bill that would crack down on money-laundering in the UK; and consider a 100 per cent windfall tax on the profits of companies still invested in Russian state enterprises.
-
Provide safe routes to the UK for those fleeing the conflict, and scrap legislation plans that would close the door on all people fleeing war and threats to their lives.
-
Fund wider humanitarian assistance for displaced people, including essential medical supplies.
-
Protect working families against further energy price rises as a result of the crisis, by giving grants rather than loans to recued energy bill, increasing the warm homes discount, increasing universal credit, and accelerating a home energy efficiency retrofit programme.
Our letter also calls on the government to ensure that those working in supply chains are protected from disruption, including by considering the use of a short-time working scheme.
The Chancellor should take these actions in his spring statement – if not sooner.
The government must provide safe routes to the UK for those escaping conflict. And ministers should scrap their Nationality and Borders Bill, which will close the door to people fleeing war and threats to their lives.
Working people always suffer in conflict and the pursuit of peace is a fundamental trade union value, an essential condition to secure safety, social justice and workers’ and human rights. We know the international trade union movement is working towards that goal. The Chancellor must also play his part.
Dear Chancellor,
Protecting working people from the impact of the invasion of Ukraine
The trade union movement is united in its condemnation of Russia’s illegal invasion of a sovereign nation. Our solidarity is with the working people of Ukraine. Working people always suffer in conflict and the pursuit of peace is a fundamental trade union value, an essential condition to secure safety, social justice and workers’ and human rights.
The UK government must now take further action to support and strengthen international efforts to impose significant and effective sanctions on Russia and to support all diplomatic efforts towards peace. And it must play its part in supporting humanitarian assistance for forcibly displaced people and welcoming refugees seeking to come to the UK.
The government must also ensure that it takes every step possible to protect working people here at home from the impact of the conflict and measures taken in response to this. We urge you to use your forthcoming budget to act. We call on you to:
-
Target sanctions on wealthy elites linked to the Russian government – and ensure they are effective. We welcome the proposed register of overseas owners of UK property through the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill, but this needs to be backed up by sufficient powers and funding for Companies House to enforce.
-
Fund humanitarian assistance for displaced people, and welcome refugees to the UK. The new Ukrainian visa proposals are inadequate and fall well short of what is needed. Limiting asylum to Ukrainian immediate family members of those already settled in the UK will not reassure Ukrainians fleeing war and bloodshed that they will be able to seek sanctuary in our country. The government must establish a safe route, so all Ukrainian families, who through no fault of their own have been forced from their homes, can easily apply for a humanitarian visa to travel to the UK. The Nationality and Borders Bill must be scrapped. Thousands of Ukrainians fleeing war may try to find sanctuary in the UK. If the Bill is passed many of these Ukrainians, along with others around the world fleeing conflict, threats to their lives and seeking safety may find themselves treated as criminals and deported, instead of being offered sanctuary.
-
Protect working families against rising gas prices, by raising funds through a windfall tax on energy profits and a new tax on profits made by UK companies invested in Russian state businesses. The current energy price crisis is hitting workers hard, and prices are likely to rise further. Government should implement existing TUC calls for:
-
Support for households in the form of a grant, not a loan (replacing the energy price rebate proposed by the government).
-
An increase in the warm homes discount, and a permanent increase in Universal Credit.
-
Rapid implementation of an accelerated and expanded domestic home retrofit programme, delivered by local councils who are best placed to deliver fast
-
Funding for these measures by the implementation of a windfall tax on north sea oil and gas companies.
-
An immediate increase in the national minimum wage to at least £10 an hour and a strategy to protect pay across the economy, including public services.
In addition, the government should consider implementing a new 100 per cent tax on additional profits made by UK based companies from their shareholdings in Russian state-backed enterprises that have profited from the gas price crisis. For example, this includes profits made by oil companies Shell and Vitol from their shareholdings in oil and gas fields in Russia in joint ventures with state-controlled companies Rosneft and Gazprom.
-
Protect jobs in supply chains now and build future supply chain resilience. For companies sourcing parts and supplies from Russia, sanctions could have a significant impact. To protect jobs, the UK government should:
-
Re-introduce the furlough scheme or a permanent short-time working scheme in order to allow companies to protect jobs while they seek to shift their supply chains.
-
Begin an urgent programme to provide investment support to help companies to invest in UK supply chains and jobs.
Trade union leaders would be happy to meet you to discuss these issues, and the steps we must take now to support working people in the Ukraine and in the UK.
Yours sincerely,
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary, TUC
Sue Ferns, President, TUC
Christina McAnea, General Secretary, UNISON
Sharon Graham, General Secretary, Unite
Gary Smith, General Secretary GMB
Kevin Courtney and Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretaries, NEU
Paddy Lilis, General Secretary, Usdaw
Patrick Roach, General Secretary, NASUWT
Dave Ward, General Secretary, CWU
Mark Serwotka, General Secretary, PCS
Mike Clancy, General Secretary, Prospect
Ged Nichols, General Secretary, Accord
Stay Updated
Want to hear about our latest news and blogs?
Sign up now to get it straight to your inbox
