Sick Pay

EDM number 628 in 1994-95, proposed by Alan Meale on 16/02/1995.

That this House congratulates the Trades Union Congress and the Labour Research Department on the publication of their report and guide on changes to the state sickness benefit system in the United Kingdom; notes that since the Statutory Sick Pay Act 1994 became effective from April 1994, thereby transferring the cost of paying for SSP to all but the smallest employers, this change has in practice encouraged 72 per cent. of organisations, covering 83 per cent. of employees, to tighten their sickness absence procedures; is extremely alarmed that, given this evidence, the Government is still intent upon introducing incapacity benefit in April 1995, which will further reduce and/or remove statutory benefits for all those previously entitled to sickness or invalidity benefits and impose a further new test of incapacity for work after 28 weeks absence; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to abandon such changes which have led and will further lead to unfair pressures on employees when they are at their weakest, and instead to examine with others a range of other fairer and more constructive approaches to sickness absence.

This motion has been signed by a total of 64 MPs.