Blog: Time to celebrate and look after our young members

November is young workers’ month, a time to celebrate the contributions of young workers to the trade union movement, and to highlight the issues they face in the workplace. And this year the month is more important than ever. UNISON represents over 66,000 young workers and we know the importance of the work they do. They’ve been on the frontline of the pandemic, working in the NHS, caring for the elderly and vulnerable  and keeping our essential public services running. But we know that all too often young people have not been valued enough in the workplace. Young workers are more likely to be low-paid, in insecure work or on zero-hours contracts. We believe all workers should have secure, well-paid jobs, no matter what age they are. We’ve led the fight for a real living wage for all, we’ve campaigned to get rid of youth rates for the minimum wage, and last year we launched the Young Workers Charter calling for high quality jobs for young people where they feel valued and supported. And we’re also currently calling for a fair pay deal for workers in the NHS who have faced so many risks during the coronavirus pandemic. But we also want to make sure that young workers have a bright future to look forward to. Many young people are worried about losing their jobs, about development opportunities and training programmes being cut, and about apprenticeships being paused. Without government action unemployment among young people will soar. It’s no wonder then ...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: Article Blogs General secretary's blog young workers Young Workers Month 2020 Source Type: news