TUC wants Internet at work for all

Too few people have Web access

Employers must do more to get workers online, or face being left behind in the race to acquire new skills, the Trades Union Congress (TUC). It wants employers to give their staff access to the Net during working hours. The TUC's position was outlined during the launch a new TUC virtual classroom -- learnOnline -- and the publication of a TUC report, Learning for the 21st century. In the report, the TUC explains that it is in employers’ interests to ensure that their staff can use the Web to learn. Workers who are able to learn through the Internet are likely to be much more productive as well as being more in tune with the latest IT skills, the TUC says. John Monks, general secretary, TUC, said: "Too few people have Web access. "If people are not to be left behind as learning online continues apace, those currently offline need to be provided with access to the Internet, preferably during their working hours." Last month the Ford Motor Company said it would offer each of its 350,000 employees the chance to lease an Internet-ready PC for just $5 a month. ® Related Stories Ford workers drive home with a cheap PC