​Union and povety charity make a joint anti-poverty call

A leading union has teamed up with anti-poverty campaigners in a bid to make work fairer for parents and give children decent childhoods.

Child Poverty Action Group, and Scotland’s biggest trade union, Unison, have joined together to call on political parties to lay out policies to tackle in-work poverty.

The call comes as the two organisations release their report Fair Work and Decent Childhoods– policies for those who work to live lives free of poverty.

They call for investment in the social security system and say we must not allow a race to the bottom on skills, pay and insecure work.

John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland said: “The new UK government will inherit a child poverty crisis with a shocking 59% of poor children in Scotland living in working families.

It is an utter scandal that so many are low paid in Scotland - Dave Watson

“For the future of our children and our economy we need urgent action to make work fair for parents and allow them to give their children the decent childhoods they deserve.

"That’s why as anti-poverty campaigners and trade unionists we have united in setting out three key priorities for the new government – decent pay, family friendly workplaces and investment in in-work benefits.”

The report calls on the next UK government to invest in both public services and the social security system and to make sure work is family friendly.

Among the demands are an increase to the national minimum wage, support for the living wage as well as more family-friendly jobs.

It also calls for outlawing of exploitative zero hours contracts, and short hour contracts where they undermine parents ability to juggle work and childcare responsibilities.

Dave Watson, Unison Scottish organiser, said: "It is an utter scandal that so many are low paid in Scotland. Unison has to fight in some sectors to get the minimum wage paid never mind the living wage.

“We have joined with anti-poverty campaigners to call on the next UK government to tackle work insecurity, rebalance employment rights, and support work life balance and high quality childcare.

“Our evidence is parents overwhelmingly want to work they just deserve fair pay and decent family friendly jobs."