Tag: Statutory Sick Pay

Solidarity Union Fights for Fair Sick Pay in the UK

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The Solidarity union has thrown its full weight behind the campaign to raise Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in the UK. At just £109.40 per week, SSP currently amounts to less than £3 per hour for a full-time worker. This figure falls shockingly short of the minimum wage, leaving sick workers struggling to cover basic living costs. The inadequacy of SSP has been a long-standing issue, but the cost-of-living crisis has brought its dire consequences into sharper focus.

A Global Perspective

When compared to other developed nations, the UK’s SSP is embarrassingly low. In Germany, sick workers can receive up to 70% of their salary for a duration of up to 78 weeks. France offers 50% of the worker’s salary for up to six months, with additional employer contributions often making up the difference. Meanwhile, the UK’s flat-rate SSP not only fails to account for actual earnings but is also among the lowest in the OECD. It’s a policy that punishes the sick and entrenches inequality.

Labour’s Silence is Deafening

While unions like Solidarity are leading the call for reform, the Labour Party has been disappointingly quiet. This is particularly troubling given Labour’s historic commitment to workers’ rights. The party’s leadership has yet to outline a clear policy on SSP, leaving many to wonder whether it is truly prepared to champion the needs of working people. Solidarity is urging Labour to step up and back a meaningful increase in SSP that reflects the cost of living and restores dignity to workers.

Unions United

Solidarity is not alone in this fight. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has repeatedly called for SSP to be raised to match the real living wage. Unite the Union and GMB have also highlighted the human cost of low SSP, citing examples of workers who have been forced to choose between health and financial survival. This coalition of voices underscores the growing recognition that the UK’s sick pay system is broken and in urgent need of reform.

A Call for Action

Pat Harrington, General Secretary of the Solidarity union, has been unequivocal in his demand for change: “The current rate of SSP is not just inadequate; it’s an insult to working people. No one should have to face financial ruin because they’re too unwell to work. Solidarity is committed to campaigning for an increase that brings SSP in line with the real living wage. We call on the government and the Labour Party to address this injustice without delay.”

What’s Next?

The campaign to raise SSP is gaining momentum, but it will take sustained pressure to achieve meaningful change. Solidarity is calling on all workers to join the fight, whether by supporting union campaigns, contacting their MPs, or sharing their stories of how low SSP has affected them. Together, we can push for a system that values health and protects the vulnerable.

It’s time for the UK to catch up with the rest of the developed world and ensure that no worker is left behind when they need support the most.

By Maria Camara

Statutory Sick Pay is “below survival rate”

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The minimal increase of £3 in statutory sick pay (SSP) means the essential financial support is still set “below survival rate,” the TUC has warned.

Wednesday’s rise in SSP to £99.35 a week means Britain’s sick pay, which is not available to those earning less than £123 a week on average, remains among the lowest in Europe, the union body said.

Solidarity and other unions have long called for more generous support to avoid people being forced to work when they are ill.

The problem reportedly led to many workers being unable to afford to self-isolate during the Covid-19 pandemic.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Time and time again we warned ministers that sick pay wasn’t enough to live on.

“After more than two years of the pandemic, it’s inhumane and counter-productive for ministers not to have fixed our broken sick pay system.

“Enough is enough. It’s time for decent sick pay for all — paid at the real living wage so people can pay their bills when they’re ill.”

It should be increased to £330 a week and the earnings threshold abolished, the TUC argued, which would open the scheme to an additional two million workers.

Institute of Employment Rights director Ben Sellers told the pro-worker Morning Star newspaper: “A marginal increase of £3 a week doesn’t begin to address the issue, while many workers fail to qualify for SSP at all.

“Covid has shone a light on how inadequate our sick pay system is in this country, with many workers being forced to go into work while ill, putting themselves and their colleagues at risk.

“Adequately resourcing sick pay works for everyone — employers, workers and the economy.”

SSP, which is not tax free, is available for most employees in Britain from the fourth day they are sick for up to 28 weeks.

However, according to official figures compiled by law firm Compensation Experts, workers in Iceland, Norway, Luxembourg and Denmark receive 100 per cent of their salary when off sick.

Employees in Switzerland get 103 weeks’ sick leave on 80 per cent pay, while their colleagues in Germany receive half pay for 84 weeks.

France and Italy only offer 50 per cent for 26 weeks, while Ireland has no legal minimum sick pay at all.