Call for united workers’ campaign for full sick and isolation pay

The new mutations of the virus make the case for full sick and isolation pay ever more urgent. Even the Tories are openly discussing the need to support low paid workers who need to isolate. Official figures suggest that around 80% of people are avoiding getting tested if they get symptoms and a similar number are breaking isolation rules when they have a suspected infection.

There are now several labour movement campaigns and bodies calling for full sick and isolation pay for all. To amplify our voice and reach greater numbers of workers we have approached various groups to discuss united campaigning. If you are interested, please get in touch.

We are writing to invite you to meet with us to discuss joint campaigning around the issue of full sick and isolation pay for all.

Safe and Equal is an organisation of keyworkers and trade unionists that has been campaigning for full sick pay for all since the beginning of the pandemic. We have argued that the 12 million or so workers who lack of rights to full occupational sick pay are in an impossible situation where they cannot afford to isolate. This is a major obstacle to slowing the spread of the virus and a health and safety issue for all workers and those we serve.

Our activists have agitated for and taken action at workplace level and through negotiating deals at local and national level. We have lobbied local and national government and used mainstream and social media to make the argument for full sick and isolation pay for all whilst building our network of workplace activists organising around this issue.

Workers, including our own activists, have won deals for full sick and isolation pay in the NHS, social care, the civil service, public transport, in food manufacturing and elsewhere. The erosion of basic workers rights, outsourcing and union-busting have hampered efforts to slow the spread of the pandemic. We need a levelling up so all workers enjoy the same rights at work as workers in well-unionised sectors.

There are now a number of organisations campaigning on this issue. Together we can make a much bigger impact by organising joint public meetings and sharing and amplifying each other’s campaign initiatives. If we do this well, we can reach a greater number of workers, and achieve greater success in engaging unions, politicians and journalists.

Obviously there is some urgency to win on this issue. Our efforts may well save lives. Please let us know as soon as possible whether you are interested.