Council workers pawning belongings to make ends meet, says UNISON

Some council staff struggling on low wages are resorting to taking their possessions to pawnbrokers, says a UNISON report published today (Thursday). Others have to borrow from friends or family, or access state benefits to make ends meet, according to the findings based on a survey of 21,000 local government workers. The research highlights the devastating personal impact of austerity on the lives of staff including refuse collectors, youth workers and social workers employed across all services, according to UNISON. More than a third (36%) of those surveyed used credit cards to cope financially. More than one in five (22%) had borrowed money from people they know, while nearly one in ten (8%) accessed state support such as housing benefits, universal or tax credits. The number forced to pawn possessions was six per cent. Others had remortgaged, downsized or moved to a cheaper property (5%), had to apply for payday loans (4%), or used a food bank (2%). The findings from the survey are even more shocking given most are at times working for free, says UNISON. Three in five (60%) said they do extra unpaid overtime, and 11% said they work more than 7 hours every week – essentially a whole extra day – unpaid. This culture of unpaid overtime can be linked to staff shortages, says UNISON. Nearly two thirds (63%) of survey respondents identified a lack of front-line staff as the top priority for councils, and fewer than one in four described (24%) their workload as manageable. ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release austerity council workers Jon Richards local government local government pay 2014 local government pay – the National Joint Council (NJC) payday loans Source Type: news