Getting unions into more workplaces will reduce poverty, says TUC

date: 5 September 2016

embargo: 00.01hrs Tuesday 6 September 2016

Commenting on today’s (Tuesday) report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which sets out a national strategy to reduce poverty, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said

"Today’s report makes for sobering reading. For millions of families living standards are getting worse not better.

“The JRF’s strategy recognises that unions play a crucial role in increasing wages and winning security and fair conditions at work – which are sorely needed if we are to end poverty in the UK. And so the challenge now is to get unions into more workplaces and get more working people covered by collective bargaining.

“And the government must play its part too. Theresa May must push on with planned increases to the national minimum wage and reverse the planned cuts to universal credit, which will leave even more working people below the breadline.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

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