Calls for furlough scheme to be extended in the East
The program has supported many business in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex to stay afloat during the pandemic.
The furlough scheme, which ensured millions of workers in the country were protected from being let go, will come to an end tomorrow.
Businesses in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex will have to either keep workers who have been furloughed on their payrolls or let them go.
Mark Robinson is the regional co-ordinator for East England from Unite the union.
He says this is not the time to wind down the program: "With a fuel crisis, the mounting cost of living and part of the economy still functioning under Covid-19 restrictions, this is the wrong time to kill off the furlough scheme."
Around 1.6 million workers were furloughed according to Government data, as of 31 July 2021.
Mr. Robinson believes the winding down of the scheme will leave many workers in precarious financial positions: "What we're seeing is that there are at least a million people, across the country in furlough, and they're going to be on a cliff-edge come Friday."
The end of the scheme also comes at a time when 20 pound Universal Credit uplift is set to end, and heating bills set to rise over the coming months.
Mr. Robinson is urging employers to keep as many employees on their books as they can to ensure that many thousands of workers aren't left in the cold.
"We urge employers to keep them on the books and at least pay the equivalent of furlough if they can."
The scheme cannot continue indefinitely, however, and it must come to an end. To this Mr. Robinson says the scheme must continue until restrictions in industries like aviation and hospitality are no longer in place.
"What we can't do is force employers to make these people redundant when demand in these industries will be back in the not-too-distant future", he adds.
The economy is also seeing an acute shortage of HGV drivers which is causing disruptions to supply lines in many industries, most notably in fuel supplies.
Mr. Robinson believes that this shortage is a systemic issue and cannot be addressed through such short-term measures. "It's not an attractive offer for migrant drivers just to come over and help us out between now and Christmas anyway. What we should do is make these jobs attractive enough for people to want to be trained into, apply for but most importantly, stay in the industry."