Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds has today stepped up her calls on counterpart Rishi Sunak to amend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to give working parents the legal right to request paid flexible furlough.
In a letter to the Chancellor, Dodds cites a new survey from the Trades Union Congress showing that working mothers are bearing the brunt of childcare duties during the current lockdown, with a quarter taking annual leave, nearly one in five having to reduce their working hours and one in 14 taking unpaid leave to look after children.
Dodds calls it “particularly concerning” that 7 in 10 eligible mothers who asked for furlough had their request refused by their employer, a situation she says risks forcing many parents out of work entirely.
Last Monday Labour leader Keir Starmer called on the government to introduce a legal and enforceable right for working parents to request paid flexible furlough, with employers expected to grant this request except in exceptional circumstances.
Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:
“Evidence is mounting that the latest lockdown is putting parents – especially mothers – under severe financial pressure.
“The Chancellor can fix this today by introducing a legal right for working parents to request paid flexible furlough.
“That’s the right thing to do for working parents and the right way to secure the economy by protecting family incomes and supporting businesses through this lockdown.”
“No more incompetence and indecision. We need action to secure our economy, protect our NHS and rebuild our country.”
