CBI and TUC clash on absences
The TUC and the CBI have exchanged sharp words after a new report from the Confederation for British Industry put the cost of public sector absences at £4.1 billion.
Workers in the private sector take an average of 6.4 days sick leave a year, compared to 9.1 days in the public sector, according to the annual CBI-AXA absence survey.
The cost of public sector workers’ absenteeism is estimated at £4.1 billion, the same amount as raised by the Government by hiking National Insurance contributions in 2002.
“These findings will make worrying reading for the newly elected government,” CBI head Sir Digby Jones said.
“If ministers fail to deal with this problem, poorer frontline services or higher taxes will be the result.”
But the TUC hit back at the findings accusing the CBI of “anti public sector bias”.
According to general secretary Brendan Barber, public sector workers are less likely to take short periods off work for sick leave than workers in the private sector.
“The average figure for public sector workers is higher only because more public sector workers take long term sick leave, much of which will have been caused by injuries on duty,” he said.
“This is not surprising given the dangerous and stressful nature of public sector jobs like police, firefighting and nursing.
“The CBI wants us to think that public sector workers are too ready to throw a sickie and take a few days off whenever they feel like it.”
Mr Barber added that British workers are not slacking off, as “they are less likely to take short-term sick leave than workers in any European country except Denmark”.
