Staff at a Welsh council who are working from home could be facing poverty after their bosses refused to give them more money to cover costs, union leaders have claimed.
Council staff working from home in Ceredigion, like many across the UK, face increased energy bills in the coming months due to the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Unison, which is the largest workers’ union representing staff at the council, has criticised the local authority and said that the current rate of tax relief is “not enough to meet rising energy prices” and that many employees are going to “struggle financially with many likely to be forced into living on the bread line”.
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Unison has written to council bosses in recent weeks asking for extra support for home workers but said the request was rejected. This is despite an expected rise in the cost of a number of household bills including electricity, oil, and broadband prices as well the increase in National Insurance payments from April meaning a fall in workers’ take-home pay packets.
Council chief executive Eifion Evans has committed to keeping the decision under review but union bosses remain disappointed.
“Working from home may be extremely expensive with the additional costs of electricity, heating, and broadband and these bills are only going to go up,” said Alison Boshier, Unison’s branch secretary for Ceredigion.
“We need to be compensated for this by our employer especially as we are still in the middle of winter and, without help, many members will be facing a difficult choice of eating or heating.”
Simon Dunn, regional organiser for Unison in Ceredigion, added: “All local authorities have a responsibility to their staff to make sure they can provide for themselves and their families.
“We are deeply disappointed Ceredigion Council has decided not compensate the many people it employs who are still working from home but we welcome the commitment of the chief executive to keep this under review.
“The cost of living crisis we are all facing is very real and we as a union will do all we can to protect those workers who rely on us to have their voices heard.”
A spokesman for Ceredigion Council said: “As the pandemic situation continues to change the council is currently working on arrangements which will provide a flexible approach to where staff will work from in the future.
“Covid-19 continues to be a risk in the immediate future and therefore any return to the office will be planned in a considered and Covid-19 secure way.”
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