FLEXI TIME

UNISON recently welcomed a government minister's call for everybody to have access to flexible working.

Children's minister Beverley Hughes made the call in an essay for the Institute for Public Policy Research, published as part of a collection called Politics for a New Generation: The Progressive Movement - by leading Labour figures to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the 1997 general election.

With flexible working largely available to be taken up by working mothers, it has come to be seen as reinforcing the glass ceiling, making it harder for women to gain promotion.

UNISON has campaigned for universal flexible working for some years. "It is the only way to stop flexible working from being seen as a 'mummy track'," commented policy officer Michelle Singleton. "It's a win-win policy which reduces absenteeism and boosts employee morale"

Ms Hughes' call for flexible working to be available to all, not just parents of young children, has not been raised within government though not in the department for Trade and Industry, the Department for Work and Pensions, or the Department for Education and Skills, where Ms Hughes is a minister.

A spokesperson for the DTI told UNISON: "There is nothing in the pipeline to do with what the minister is saying."However, the Work and Families Act is coming into force and so there will be an extension of maternity Leave to nine months by April, extending to 12 months by the end of the Parliament." The DTI also pointed out that flexible working rights will be extended to carers in April, benefiting up to 2.8 million people.

Ending Long Hours Culture, Low Pay and Investing in Childcare is Answer to Damning UNICEF Survey. Low pay, the long hours culture and the lack of accessible quality childcare are key factors in the UK coming bottom of the UNICEF league table on children’s well-being, said UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today.

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, representing 1.4m members said: “This is a truly shocking report highlighting the plight of our nation’s children. It cannot be a coincidence that at the same time as being bottom of the league table, we have the longest working hours in Europe. When you combine this with the huge problems caused by low pay, particularly among “traditional” women’s jobs, you have a dangerous cocktail. There is a real problem caused by the increasing disparity between the rich and affluent and the poor and powerless, made worse by the kind of indecent bonuses paid out to some city workers.”“The Government must make investment in childcare a spending priority. The way to tackle the growing inequalities in society is to provide support for families and low paid workers, and to ensure quality childcare is sustainable. All the evidence shows that investing in childcare pays long-term dividends, in terms of employment, earnings and life chances.”

NB: FROM APRIL ISSUE OF BRANCH NEWS LETTER