IN 2014 the Trades Union Congress launched a nationwide campaign: Britain Needs a Pay Rise.

In 2016 Sheffield Trades Union Council launched a localised campaign, Sheffield Needs a Pay Rise, and it flourishes today.

Sheffield TUC president Bob Jeffery, a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “The national TUC did research, reports into the extent of the drop in pay, but there was not much in terms of grassroots campaigns.

“Sheffield has one of the lowest-paid economies in the country, according to the Resolution Foundation. 

“It has the largest proportion of its workforce paid below the national living wage, has suffered the largest pay drop of the UK Core Cities since the onset of the 2008 recession, and suffered most from issues of low pay.

“We looked at some of the things unions were doing about it here such as Unite at Sports Direct.

“We thought we could organise support, and we have done that — with the bakers’ union at McDonald’s, Unite at TGI Friday’s. Also we’ve been going out to speak to workers, particularly young workers.

“We’ve produced leaflets telling young workers of their basic employment rights — to paid holidays, to breaks between shifts — and we go out into the streets to talk to people. We built relationships and directed them to a trade union.

“We’ve held rallies and large demonstrations. But most important are the conversations with young people.”

Daragh O’Neill, a young university graduate who works at a Sheffield call centre, is an activist with Sheffield Young Trade Unionists, which is part of the trades council.

“We have a situation where many young workers do not know what a trade union is,” he said.

So the group organises social events, which are not “union specific,” to establish contact with young workers.

Activities are also targeted, including on workplaces that have not been unionised.

Young workers are encouraged to become involved in actions including “community pickets” outside workplaces like McDonald’s and the city’s Aviva call centre.

“Community pickets done at TGI Friday’s and Cineworld have been effective in both raising the visibility of the campaign with workers and the public, particularly young workers, and in building the campaign — one of the things where young people can get stuck in to it,” he said.

A shortage of resources for development and training is a problem — trades union councils do not have the access to finances which unions have.

“We would welcome more support from unions to develop our ability to engage with young workers, to raise their aspirations collectively that workplaces can be better places,” said O’Neill.

On Friday June 15, the campaign stages a conference on Low Pay and Precarious Work in Sheffield. It will focus on experiences of those issues, including zero-hours contracts, and temporary and part-time work.

A report commissioned by Sheffield TUC and jointly prepared by academics from Middlesex, Staffordshire and Sheffield Hallam Universities, will be released at the conference, which takes place at The Circle, 33, Rockingham Lane, Sheffield S1 4FW, 9.30am to 1.30pm. Admission is free.