Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme must not end ‘at a cliff-edge’, says TUC as it sets out recommendations to help UK transition out of lockdown

Job Guarantee Scheme for those who lose their jobs would help prevent the coronavirus pandemic being followed by a major unemployment crisis, says General Secretary

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) must not end 'at a cliff-edge', the TUC has said as it set out recommendations for a Job Guarantee Scheme to help the UK transition out of lockdown.

Warning of the risks of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic leading to an unemployment crisis, the TUC calls for the CJRS to be flexible at the end of lockdown - allowing short-working while people transition back to normal hours, and extending it beyond lockdown for high-risk groups who must remain in social isolation for longer - and for the government to provide a Job Guarantee Scheme as part of the national recovery plan.

Publishing A new plan for jobs; Why we need a new jobs guarantee, the TUC highlights that jobs created under a new Guarantee Scheme would - 

• be additional jobs that would not otherwise be created by employers;
• benefit the UK and its communities, such as helping to decarbonise the economy;
• provide secure contracts of at least six months;
• pay wages of at least the real Living Wage;
• provide training opportunities to help people move into longer-term work; and
• provide guaranteed access to trade union representation.

Commenting on the proposals, TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said - 

'The TUC is proposing a new plan for jobs to make sure everyone has work as we come out of lockdown. Ministers must stop the coronavirus crisis turning into an employment crisis.

The job retention scheme has done tremendous good by keeping people in work. But it must not end abruptly at a cliff-edge. The government must make it more flexible to support a phased return to work.

And for those who have lost their jobs, the government should bring in a Job Guarantee Scheme to bridge workers through the tough period ahead. That’s how to start building back better, with jobs for everyone, fairer work and a greener economy.'

For more information see Job guarantee scheme is essential for the UK recovery plan, says TUC from tuc.org.uk