Wincanton is the latest employer to sign up to the ‘Dying to Work’ voluntary charter, following in the footsteps of employers such as Unilever, Pladis and the Co-op. The charter is part of the TUC’s wider ‘Dying to Work’ campaign which is seeking greater security for terminally ill workers, so they cannot be dismissed as a result of their condition.
‘Dying to Work’ was taken forward by the TUC following the case of Jacci Woodcock, an area sales manager from Derbyshire, who was forced out of her job after being diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. The TUC is asking employers to sign up to its voluntary charter to stop cases like Jacci’s happening in the future.
Mark Todd - Usdaw National Officer says: “Workers should always be treated with dignity and respect by their employer. Signing the charter reassures our members that, should the worst happen, they will be treated properly by their employer.”
Jo Pick from Wincanton says: “As a people focused business, signing the charter was a sure thing. It’s the right thing to do and demonstrates our commitment and support to our colleagues and their families when they need us most.”
Lee Barron - TUC Midlands Secretary says: “Your job should be the least of your worries when you get a terminal diagnosis. I’m delighted that Wincanton have shown real leadership in this area, working with unions to guarantee fair treatment for terminally-ill workers. Over 1.5million workers are now covered by the ‘Dying to Work’ charter across the country and we expect more employers to follow suit in the months to come.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 350,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
TUC ‘Dying to Work’ campaign: www.dyingtowork.co.uk
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion