Usdaw’s consultation response highlights key concerns of members around the retention of rights including:
- Working Time Directive which underpins the maximum hours worked in a week, with additional protections young workers and night workers.
- Holiday entitlement and pay which provides all workers with 28 days (5.6 weeks) paid holiday per year.
- Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) which protects workers when their employer is taken over by another business.
Usdaw’s full consultation response: www.usdaw.org.uk/EULawResponse
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “While many of the changes that were being considered by the Government appear to have been shelved, any watering down of workers' rights is unacceptable. Usdaw consistently opposed the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023, because it gives Government Ministers the power to downgrade workers' rights. The cost of living crisis and the UK’s already weak employment rights framework leaves too many working people vulnerable after the Tories trashed the economy.
“The Government consulted on changes to key employment protections on working time, paid holiday and jobs transferring between businesses. Going ahead with these proposals would run contrary to the Government's commitment to ‘protect and enhance workers’ rights’. The Tories said they would ‘build back better’, but that much used catchphrase rings hollow after four years of failing to bring forward their promised employment rights bill.
“The Government is not offering the change our members need, with Rishi Sunak set to fail on his five ‘promises’ that have now been downgraded to ‘priorities’. After 13 years of Tory economic failure, it’s time for a General Election. Labour is pledged to deliver a new deal for workers within 100 days of coming into government. Only Labour has the policies and ideas that can put the country back on track.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 350,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades
www.usdaw.org.uk
Labour’s New Deal for Workers: www.usdaw.org.uk/LaboursNDW
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
@UsdawUnion