UNISON, the UK’s largest union, today warned that the ‘Beecroft lite’ proposals to slash employment rights will only fuel insecurity, making the UK’s unemployment levels higher and the recession worse.
These plans will cut unfair dismissal awards, deter people from taking claims against rogue employers, and put pressure on people to sign settlement agreements, under which people sign away their right to taking an unfair dismissal case at a later date. Coupled with new fees for Employment Tribunals due next year they represent a ‘lite’ proposal of those originally proposed by venture capitalist Adrian Beecroft in his report to Government.
Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary, said:
“These ‘Beecroft lite’ proposals are still a blatant attack on workers’ rights. The UK already has some of the weakest labour laws in Europe. Weighing the scales heavily in favour of bosses - who can hire and fire at will - will only fuel insecurity, lengthening the dole queues and making the UK’s damaging recession worse.
“UNISON will also be campaigning hard against plans to amend the TUPE rules that protect workers’ rights when they are transferred from one employer to another. We suspect that in the name of simplification the Coalition really want to make it easier transfer public services to the private sector, and spark a race to the bottom on pay, terms and conditions.”
http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/under-attack
