(Lab):...Tackling low pay has to be part of the solution.
Despite what the Minister has outlined, nearly six million people
earn below a living wage. Nearly a million workers are on
zero-hours contracts, and there are far too many people without the
certainty of employment that they need to live a debt-free life.
Meanwhile, boardroom bonuses continue to rise, and the widening gap
between the highest and lowest earners creates further injustice.
This is why we are committed to introducing a real living wage of
£10 an hour, giving all workers full and equal rights from day one,
introducing an excessive pay levy and rolling out maximum pay
ratios of 20 to 1 in the public sector and public contracts.
Perhaps when the Minister responds he can explain what this
Government plan to do about tackling excessive boardroom pay,
ending low pay and intervening in the Gig economy to give workers
back some control over their lives...
(Lab):...Workers are absolutely key to a successful
economy, but too many have terrible insecurity in their working
lives, with part-time work, zero hours, the Gig
economy and low wages. ’s review of employment
practices, mentioned by the Minister, will be extremely important
in that context. I ask for the Minister’s assurance that the
Government will implement future recommendations that tackle the
abuses of insecure work and end exploitation in the workplace. In
some instances, exploitation has been exacerbated by immigration,
but Mrs May’s immigration targets are certainly not the way to deal
with this, and would do untold harm to our economy and our public
services...
of Handsworth
(Lab):...In 2016, the United Nations
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights found reason to
criticise the coalition Government as being in breach of their
human rights obligations. The House will remember that it was the
coalition Government who initiated the austerity programme in 2010.
The UN committee said that it was “seriously concerned” about,
“the disproportionate adverse impact that austerity measures”,
were having on disadvantaged and marginalised individuals and
groups. It also emphasised problems with welfare reform, saying
that it was “deeply concerned” about,
“the various changes in the entitlements to, and cuts in,
benefits”,
including the reduction of the household benefit cap, the
four-year freeze on some benefits and the reduction in child tax
credits. A year on from the report, the social outcomes of
austerity today mean that the use of food banks, child poverty
and homelessness are increasing. Yes, our economy has changed. We
have changed from the casino economy to the Gig
economy, obviously with insecurity and the costs of
poverty. We must and can do better...
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