Catrina Dick reports on a new survey from the Trades Union Congress, which claims security guards, care assistants and truck drivers have the lowest-paid jobs in Britain.

People's lives are being put at risk by the low pay-long hours culture, a welfare worker has warned.

On the day the Telegraph & Argus revealed that blind Bradford teenager Imran Arshad and his pregnant girlfriend Michelle, both pictured above, are sharing a wage of £1.50 an hour working for a minicab firm, the TUC exposed the three industries it claims are the most exploitative in the country.

According to its "Three of the Worst" report -based on a national "bad bosses" hotline - security guards, care assistants and truck drivers come bottom of the heap.

Apart from low pay - £1.50 an hour for one security guard - and long hours - 91 hours a week for another in South Yorkshire - the report claims workers are even expected to collude in breaking laws meant to protect them. UK truck drivers work some of the longest hours in Europe and regularly work illegally excessive hours to make ends to meet.

Dave Miller, an advice worker with the Batley-based Yorkshire and Humberside Low Pay Unit, says people may not have a choice.

"They are under pressure to keep hold of jobs even if things are being done wrong," he said. "It can take months to take a case to tribunal and, in the meantime, you may be out of work with no reference. As far as benefits are concerned, the reaction is often that you've made yourself unemployed."

He added: "Since the unit started in 1986, security guards and care assistants have been down there for long hours, few career opportunities and low pay. In the security industry, smaller companies are springing up and competing for contracts.

"Money is saved on guards' wages. And the care industry has grown since the late 1980s with competitive tendering and the number of elderly people increasing. It's a surprise to see either industry offering more than £3.50 or £4 an hour.

"Lorry drivers are being told to doctor tachographs, carry dangerous loads, and drive unsafe vehicles."

And he warned: "The situation is made worse by the safety aspect of it all. Security guards are putting themselves at risk, care assistants are in life and death situations, as truck drivers can be."

At one Bradford mill, an employee, who asked not to be named, said the hourly wage ranged from £3.08 to £3.15 an hour.

He said: "That means we've got to do about 72 hours to take home about £215 a week or 60 hours to take home about £150. A lot of workers do 84 hours a week which is squeezing two weeks' work into one.

"On average, people work six days a week although many work seven. Some lads haven't taken a day off in two years.

"If they did the typical week of around 39 hours, they'd take home about £111. People with a mortgage and children can't afford to live on that."

And Bradford Job Centre is currently advertising two jobs in the city that fetch even less. One is for a full-time factory worker at £2.75 an hour and the other is for a part-time job washing up in a restaurant at £2.50 an hour.

Giles Bateman, of Bradford and District Registered Care Homes Association, which represents 30 local homes, branded the report a "generalisation" although he admitted his industry does feel staff deserve more pay.

"As an association, we promote quality and part of that is staff," he said. "We appreciate working conditions are important. We don't want a high staff turnover. We want staff committed to their place of employment who will give their best. To do that we've got to train them."

The British Security Industry Association has 70 members out of the 1,200 manned security service companies in the UK.

A spokesman, who said the government will be toughening up on security firms, said: "Our companies have to meet rigorous quality criteria but there is nothing which obliges companies to operate in a certain way if they choose not to join the association.

"To a certain extent, the end user plays a role. When they negotiate the price down they have to think what that means to individuals involved."

A spokesman for Bradford Job Centre said it could not refuse to advertise jobs which are low paid. "Staff can talk to the employer and point out it's below the going rate but, at the end of the day, it's down to the employer."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.