| Responding to David Cameron’s announcement today (Friday) that EU migrants will not be able to claim benefits for four years after arriving in the UK, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The Prime Minister is taking a sledgehammer to a problem that he has exaggerated. People are coming to Britain to work. There is little or no evidence that benefits make a difference, so today’s announcement will have no impact on numbers. It might sound tough, but will only stoke up cynicism and conflict. “We need a new approach based on ending the UK’s status as Europe’s exploitation capital, where the worst bosses use migrant workers to undermine rights and wages. “If the government was serious about reducing benefit spending, it should be doing something about the poor pay and high rents that drive up the benefits bill for those in work.” |