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THOUSANDS of construction workers are set to benefit from occupational sick pay following a campaign by the Unite union, it announced today.
Around 19,000 staff employed by construction giant the Keir Group are now entitled to up to a daily stipend of £100 from the first day of their illness, a “vast improvement on the statutory rate which can be as little as £16,” Unite argued.
General secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a much-needed step forward in an industry which is notorious for insecure pay and an inadequate safety record.
“This is what Unite does — it protects the jobs, pay and conditions of our members.”
Malcolm Bonnett, the union’s regional officer for the construction sector, said he was “delighted by this victory.”
He added: “Statutory sick pay in the UK is the lowest in Europe so it was vital we persuaded the employer, a wealthy business, that they had a duty to pay when workers are ill.
“From here, we build further. Unite is determined that other construction employers act to end sick pay discrimination too.”