The dire state of public services is forcing staff to miss work, a damning survey has found ahead of the Budget.
Nearly six in 10 businesses said workers have been off for reasons including waiting for hospital treatment, looking after a loved one who can’t access social care, and looking after kids with special educational needs. The TUC says this reflects the Tories’ toxic legacy.
Trade union bosses have demanded a string of measures from Rachel Reeves ‘ Budget on Thursday, including a reform of pay review bodies and taxes on wealth rather than wages. They also called for a Public Sector Workforce Commission to be set up to advise ministers on how to improve services.
TUC chief Paul Nowak said: “A country with great public services is a great place to do business. You’ve got a healthy and skilled workforce, travel is fast and reliable, and your workers can access the care services they and their families need. But the Conservatives left our public services in complete disrepair.
“Our polling shows that more than half of businesses report losing staff time because they have problems accessing vital public services. This is having a massive impact on working people, companies, and the economy.”
A poll of over 500 leaders found 59% say their staff had to take time off in the last year because of issues accessing public services. Most common reasons included waiting for hospital treatment (35%), caring for a relative without proper social care (20%), waiting for mental health care (17%) and being unable to access suitable childcare (17%).
The union body has demanded Ms Reeves announces the measures to repair public services so working days and productivity are no longer hit.
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