On Thursday 20th August, the Mayor of London, wrote a letter to the Chancellor and the Health Secretary urging the Government to implement comprehensive financial support for employees who are required to self-isolate
In his letter to Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock, Sadiq Khan expressed his concern that “many Londoners are in insecure work, on zero hours contracts, in the gig economy, or rely on informal economies”. Thus, the absence of proper support can leave both the employees and their communities at a greater risk of health complications from the virus.
BAME Londoners who are pre-dominantly employed as key-workers at the Covid-19 frontlines have been disproportionately impacted by the first wave of coronavirus. Deeply concerned about those workers not receiving adequate Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) and thus, going back to work, the Mayor of London wrote,
“Whilst I recognise that statutory sick pay (SSP) is available to some who are self-isolating, far too many Londoners are falling through the gaps or are unable to make ends meet. We cannot be in a situation where Londoners are forced into financial hardship for following public health advice and keeping their community safe. Once again, the UK is falling behind the rest of the world. In Germany, for example, workers are supported to isolate with payments for the first six-weeks equivalent to their net-wage.”
Therefore, he is calling on the Government to:
• Ensure entitlement to SSP if it is necessary to self-isolate, as an absolute minimum.
• Investigate a further ‘COVID Protection Pay’ scheme which would provide a higher level of compensation, without penalising employers. This could take the form of a short-term flexible furlough under which Government would meet a higher percentage of a worker's regular pay.
• Prioritise investment in NHS Test and Trace and more support for hospitality businesses to implement systems. It is now clear that we need to learn to live with the virus, and NHS Test and Trace plays a large role in giving the public confidence.
His letter arrives at a time when a survey by the CBI warned that retailers cut jobs during the year to August at the fastest rate since 2009, with an even sharper decline anticipated for the figures to September. There was immense speculation earlier with the Mayoralty of London with the constant back and forth between Sadiq Khan and Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary with some believing that the Mayoralty of London was in crisis. Former chancellor of ex-chequer Sajid Javid had to resign owing to differences with Boris Johnsons’ press secretary Dominic Cummings. Dismissing those Sadiq, he said,
“I rely on my job and not on the patronage of the Government or on Dominic Cummings. And I would like to remind both the government and prime minister Boris Johnson that Londoners have elected me with the highest number of votes that any Mayor has ever received. I received more votes than Boris Johnson did as Mayor in 2008 or 2012.
