The Government
seems determined to remove employment rights by some means or other.
We have
talked before about plans to simply abolish the right to claim for Unfair
Dismissal –
At the Conservative
Party’s Annual Conference, the Chancellor has today announced plans to force
new starters to effectively sell their rights in return for shares. This will
extend to basic rights such as Unfair dismissal and Redundancy –
It will
also increase to 16 weeks the notice that returning mums will have to give of
their intention to go back to work after maternity leave.
Existing staff
will not be forced to take part.
There is
still an element of compulsion here which is effectively taking away rights
which workers in this country have enjoyed for decades under different ruling
parties. A promise of shares is a poor price to pay for such fundamental
rights. If a company is not performing well the value of the shares could collapse
leaving the workforce with no rights and worthless shares.
The
proposal also assumes that staff are only interested in money. Most would
prefer be able to go to work and have the security that they cannot be sacked at
the whim of bosses. No amount of shares can compensate for that. Tribunals can
order bosses to re-instate staff who are wrongly sacked. There can be no re-instatement
if someone has been forced to sell off their rights.
This seems
to be a poorly considered proposal.
Employees
are bound to feel that their rights are being sold off. Employers themselves are
not crying out for a wholesale removal of rights –
So we can
anticipate strong opposition from all sides and hopefully this idea will be
consigned to the scrapheap where it belongs!
Well said. Where on earth has this idea come from? As you say, business doesn't seem to be clamouring for the sweeping abolition of employee rights. This looks like the work of think tank wonks to me. Trust George to think it might be a runner, a man who has never had to worry about where his next pay cheque is coming from. This recession has proved that most workers crave security above all else, even accepting pay freezes as a necessary evil. Why on earth would they sell peace of mind for potentially worthless shares?
ReplyDeleteBarking!! But chilling too!
ReplyDeleteThis will extend to basic rights such as Unfair dismissal and Redundancy – unfair dismissal tribunal
ReplyDeleteThis will extend to basic rights such as Unfair dismissal and Redundancy – football banning order
ReplyDelete