But the package is not expected to be published until Friday or Saturday, when thousands of jobs will already have gone. They are thought to be looking at giving workers a minimum pay of perhaps £150 per week, or a percentage of their wages. Sweden, like Germany and Austria, is subsidising a shorter working week, halving the costs with employers so workers keep 90% of wages. The Resolution Foundation think tank is calling for a £22billion package to support workers. One million workers would get a flat-rate £151 a week for six months, at a cost of around £3.6bn.

Source: Daily Mirror March 19, 2020 22:08 UTC