Sick pay rules which left Britain “brutally exposed” to the coronavirus pandemic must be examined by the Covid Inquiry, workers’ leaders urged today.
The Trades’ Unions Congress called on probe chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett to take “an unflinching” look at the system which left “millions facing a huge financial cliff edge if they contracted Covid”.
According to the organisation, 23% of UK workers had to rely on statutory sick pay if they needed to self-isolate during the pandemic, rising to 31% of the lowest paid.
The TUC said with the rate at just £94 a week, the average worker faced a £418 drop in earnings if they were forced to quarantine and relied solely on SSP.
Following an outcry, the Government introduced a self-isolation support scheme so people could claim a £500 lump sum if they were unable to work.
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But the TUC believes the “broken sick pay system ended up being a huge own goal” which “massively undermined our preparedness and ability to deal with the pandemic”.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “The failure to provide proper financial support was an act of self-sabotage that left millions brutally exposed to the pandemic.
“Many workers simply couldn’t afford to self-isolate.
“This pushed up infection rates, put a huge strain on our public services and ballooned the cost of Test and Trace.
“The Government could have boosted sick pay and made sure everyone could get it, but ministers chose not to.
“As a result the UK entered the pandemic with the most miserly rate of sick pay in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
“This cost us dear.”
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