NEWS RELEASE
Thursday 7th October 2004
Trade Union Report Confirms Welfare Cuts Would Hurt Genuine Claimants
STUC 'Unions Work' campaign will promote role of unions in tackling inactivity amongst the disabled.
The STUC has today (Thursday) welcomed publication of a major report, by the TUC on Defending Incapacity Benefit.
Bill Speirs, STUC General Secretary, said:
"This report provides further compelling evidence to support the STUC's campaign of promoting the principle of invalidity benefit for disabled Scots."
Amongst the findings highlighted the report reveals that · Discrimination against the disabled by employers is still a major concern · The value of this important benefit has now fallen to a fifth of average earnings · The myth of widespread benefit fraud portrayed by the media amounts to less than 0.3% of total Incapacity Benefits payments
The STUC looks forward to the publication of a joint SERN/SOFFA * report into how trade union organisation in the workplace supports disabled Scots workers in economic activity and the important role that government and unions can play in positively assisting disabled Scots to return to work through encouraging equality at work and employee centred flexible working. The STUC will argue that providing better paths into employment for disabled workers is a key aspect of tackling economic inactivity in Scotland. The Report will be launched around the first STUC Disabled Workers Conference on 6 November 2004.
Assistant Secretary Stephen Boyd said:
"Forcing people from incapacity benefits onto the dole queue is not the answer. There are many people with disability who wish to work - at least part time - but who are prevented from doing so through the lack of positive, flexible working opportunities. This is something the trade union movement can help to address in partnership with government."
ENDS
Tel: 0141 337 8100 / Fax: 0141 337 8101 www.stuc.org.uk
- Scottish Employment Rights Network; Scottish One Fund For All For further details contact: Stephen Boyd, Assistant Secretary STUC Notes to editors:
Embargoed copies of the SERN/SOFFA report will be available in late October.
For further details of the STUC disabled workers conference please contact Stephen Boyd.
The full report `Defending Incapacity Benefit' is available pre-embargo at : www.tuc.org.uk/extras/IncapacityBriefingnote.doc