Over Half of UK Workers Have Had Pay, Hours or Benefits Cut Since the Recession Began
More than half of all UK workers (54%) have experienced a cut in pay, a reduction in hours or a loss of benefits since the recession began, according to a survey of over 1,600 workers by the Keep Britain Working campaign (keepbritainworking.com) published today, Monday 1st June.
(PRWeb UK/PRWEB ) June 1, 2009 -- Flexibility of UK Workers helps save jobs
More than half of all UK workers (54%) have experienced a cut in pay, a reduction in hours or a loss of benefits since the recession began, according to a survey of over 1,600 workers by the Keep Britain Working campaign (keepbritainworking.com) published today, Monday 1st June.
These figures follow the decision Honda workers made last week to accept pay cuts of 3% to avoid redundancies. This demonstrates just how flexible the British workforce as a whole has been and how changing working terms has helped organisations avoid even greater job cuts.
Over the last nine months 27% of UK workers have had their pay cut, 24% have had their hours reduced and 24% have lost benefits, according to the survey. While 37% of UK workers have experienced just one of these changes, 12% have experienced two of them and 5% have experienced all three.
What's more, two in five workers (40%) have been given extra responsibilities, while one in five - 20% - have had the nature of their role change, within the same organisation. Interestingly 2% have been offered a semi-paid sabbatical, while 6% have been offered an unpaid sabbatical since the recession began.
Nevertheless recessionary pressures continue to impact negatively on job security throughout the country. More than half of all UK adults of working age are more pessimistic about job prospects this month than they were last month, according to the Keep Britain Working survey.
Overall 54% said they were more pessimistic about job prospects this month than last while 17% were more optimistic, giving a Job Optimism Index Score of minus 37.
James Reed, founder of the independent Keep Britain Working Campaign, called for people to add their ideas on keepbritainworking.com. He commented:
"The UK workforce has demonstrated unprecedented flexibility during this recession, allowing organisations to explore a whole range of cost-cutting responses other than relying solely on redundancies. British workers are increasingly pessimistic about job prospects in the immediate future, but - and in contrast to parts of Continental Europe - overall workers appear to be making common cause with their managers to help keep people working."
For further information please contact: Lewis Campbell, tel. 020 7616 2327 or 07908 566 859 or email. lewis.campbell(at)reedglobal.com
NOTES FOR EDITORS
| | - UK unemployment figures, released on 12th May, showed that the number of people claiming jobless benefits in the UK rose by 57,100, less than the 85,000 predicted. According to the International Labour Organisation measure, unemployment rose to 2.22 million in the three months to March, an increase of 244,000. The corresponding unemployment rate rose to 7.1%, up 0.4 percentage points.
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| | - Keep Britain Working (www.keepbritainworking.com) launched this year, with a clear goal to help preserve as many jobs as possible and create new ones. Thousands of endorsements include those from all three main political parties and the trade union movement, as well as public and private organisations. James Reed, CEO of recruitment giant Reed, initiated the campaign, but backs its independence to support its main objective that “Job#1 is to Keep Britain Working”.
Comments on Keep Britain Working include:
- "The Keep Britain Working initiative is an important effort to prevent people becoming unemployed" Rt Hon James Purnell MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
- "Keep Britain Working is a tremendous campaign that will bring help and support to employers from all sectors who are struggling through this recession" Rt Hon Theresa May MP Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
- "I am very pleased to support Keep Britain Working – pooling ideas to steer businesses, employees and thus the country through this recession" Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats"
- “Any campaign, such as Keep Britain Working, that engages with the causes of unemployment and backs effective measures to create and retain jobs will be welcomed by Britain's unions." Brendan Barber, General Secretary, Trades Union Congress
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See the original story at: http://uk.prweb.com/releases/2009/06/prweb2476184.htm
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