TUC: Night workers in the North East deserve better pay and conditions

• Many working overnight are on low pay and insecure contracts, warns union body
• TUC calls for proper recognition of their work
• Many night-staff are “undervalued” despite heightened health risks of overnight work

As the clocks went back this weekend to mark the beginning of winter, the TUC is calling for better pay and conditions for the night-workers - including the 149,000 workers who regularly work night shifts in the North East.

The TUC says there is no evidence of a ‘pay premium’ for people working overnight. This despite the heightened health risks that come with night work and the disruption it causes to workers’ lives.

Insecure and “undervalued”

The TUC says that many key workers who keep vital services going overnight are undervalued and often employed on low pay and insecure contracts.

Care workers (460,0000) account for the largest number of night workers in Britain. But many are low paid and on zero-hours contracts.

The union body says the government must improve pay and conditions for night-workers. The TUC says this should include:

• A £15 an hour minimum wage for all staff as soon as possible.
• The introduction of sector-wide ‘fair pay agreements’ in sectors like social care to ensure minimum standards on pay, working conditions and training.
• Carers being paid for all their time on sleep-in shifts.

Health impact of night work

As well as being detrimental to family life, the health risks of regular night work include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression.

The TUC is calling for a number of measures to protect and compensate night workers. These include:

• Pay to properly reflect the likely additional costs of childcare and inconvenience that night shifts can entail.
• New legislation to ensure that workers always have sufficient notice of their shift patterns so they can make arrangements well in advance.
• Compensation for shift changes at short notice.

Workers’ safety

Workers, particularly women, are at greater risk of harassment and attacks in their journey to and from work when it’s late at night.

The TUC says employers should consider the health hazards of night working in risk assessments, and take responsibility for workers’ safety travelling to and from the workplace at night.

TUC Northern Regional Secretary Liz Blackshaw said: “We all owe Britain’s night workers a huge debt for keeping the country running while we are asleep.

“Working through the night is tough – with night-workers at higher risk of health problems and disruption to their daily lives.

“But the truth is that many of those who work overnight – especially in key sectors like care – are on low pay and insecure contracts.

“As the cost of living crisis escalates, ministers must do more to ensure all night workers get the pay they deserve.

“That means raising the minimum wage to £15 an hour as soon as possible and improving working conditions so all night workers are treated with dignity at work."