Unite Welcomes Commons Redundancy pay Debate and Calls for Action in Budget

LONDON - Unite, Britain’s biggest union, has welcomed the successful second
reading of the Statutory Redundancy Pay Amendment Bill which would increase
to GBP500 a week the amount of pay used to calculate compensation for workers
made redundant.

Unite the union is calling on the government to introduce the measure
through the forthcoming budget.

Unite joint general secretary, Tony Woodley, said: “This is a
long-overdue measure to bring statutory redundancy pay up to date. It was an
important element of Labour’s election manifesto, and we are pleased that it
secured the support of so many MPs.

“The provisions debated today to improve statutory redundancy pay must be
implemented urgently, while so many workers face a threat to their jobs. They
need to have that new limit for redundancy pay in place to help ease
hardship.

“The quickest way for this to be done is for the Chancellor and the
government to introduce the measure through the forthcoming budget.”

Unite joint general secretary, Derek Simpson, added: “Now that we’ve had
the debate, it is time for action. Our research shows that in virtually every
constituency in Britain, workers are dependent on statutory redundancy pay if
they lose their jobs. The Labour MPs who have backed this measure today are
clearly aware of their obligation to those constituents.

“The basis for calculating this pay is years out of date. By introducing
a more just and realistic system in the budget, the government would be
offering hope of a fair deal in hard times.”

Source: Unite the Union

For further information contact Pauline Doyle on +44(0)7976-832861