WIREDGOV

As the clocks went back recently (Saturday) to mark the beginning of winter, the TUC is calling for better pay and conditions for the 3.2 million workers who regularly work nights. 

• Analysis shows that 1 in 3 night-workers earn less than £10 an hour
• Key workers are twice as likely to do night shifts than other workers
• Many working overnight are on low pay and insecure contracts, warns union body
• TUC says employers should consider health hazards of night working and take responsibility for workers safely travelling to and from the workplace 

Analysis published by the union body reveals that 1 in 3 (33%) night-workers earn less than £10 an hour. This is despite the heightened health risks that come with night work and the disruption it causes to workers’ lives. 

Key workers 

The analysis also shows that key workers are twice as likely to work overnight than other workers, with 1 in 6 (16%) key workers working night shifts, compared with 1 in 12 (8%) of other workers. 

Low-paid and insecure 

The TUC says that many key workers who keep vital services going overnight are undervalued and often employed on low pay and insecure contracts. 

Care workers (485,000) are more likely to work night shifts than other profession. But many earn less than £10 an hour and are on zero-hours contracts.  

The union body says the government must “level up” conditions for workers in this sector starting with banning zero-hours contracts and raising the minimum wage to £10 an hour. Carers should be paid for all their time on sleep-in shifts. 

Health impact of night work 

As well as being detrimental to family life, the health risks of regular night work include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression. 

The TUC is calling for a number of measures to protect and compensate night workers. These include: 

• Pay to properly reflect the likely additional costs of childcare and inconvenience that night shifts can entail. 
• New legislation to ensure that workers always have sufficient notice of their shift patterns so they can make arrangements well in advance.  
• Compensation for shift changes at short notice. 

Workers’ safety 

Workers, particularly women, are at greater risk of harassment and attacks in their journey to and from work when it’s late at night. 

The TUC says employers should consider the health hazards of night working in risk assessments,  and take responsibility for workers’ safety travelling to and from the workplace at night. 

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady recently said:

“Working through the night is tough – with night-workers at higher risk of health problems and disruption to their daily lives. 

“We all owe Britain’s night workers a huge debt for keeping the country running while we are asleep. 

“It is not right that so many of those who work overnight – especially in key sectors like care – are on low pay and insecure contracts. 

“The government must ensure that all night workers are treated with dignity at work. That means levelling up working conditions and pay and ensuring people are given proper notice of their shifts. 

“And it means an immediate increase in the minimum wage to £10 an hour - which would benefit over two million key workers, and fair pay agreements across sectors which can agree fair rewards for those who work at night.”