Last week, the Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, announced that the Government would be undertaking a review of workers’ employment law rights as a result of the UK leaving the EU.
However, following a backlash from the Labour party, unions and employment lawyers at the prospect of changes to employee rights, Kwasi Kwarteng has now backtracked on this plan and confirmed that the review will no longer go ahead.
During an interview with ITV’s Peston, the Business Secretary commented:
“So the review is no longer happening within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). I made it very very clear to officials in the department that we’re not interested in watering down workers’ rights.”
Adding:
“I can’t have been more clear about this on a number of occasions. I’ve said repeatedly that Brexit gives us the opportunity to have higher standards and a higher growth economy and that’s what officials in the department are 100% focused on.”
As we outlined in our previous article, the Government had suggested it would review UK worker’s rights in respect of:
- The 48-hour maximum working week;
- Rules in relation to rest breaks;
- Removing overtime pay when calculating certain holiday pay entitlements; and
- Removing the requirement for employers to keep records of their employee’s working hours.
Criticism
As mentioned above, the prospect of changes to worker’s rights drew fierce criticism from Labour, unions and employment lawyers.
Ed Miliband, the Shadow Business, Energy and Industry Secretary, wrote in the Guardian:
“The government has failed to bring in the employment bill that it promised would protect and enhance workers’ rights.”
Adding:
“We have seen some workers feel unable to ensure their own safety, scared to raise complaints and compelled to come into the office despite the government’s instruction to work from home.”
The General Secretary of the Unite union, Len McCluskey, also commented:
“The epidemic of low pay and insecure work in this country are the real problems, not the basic rights of working people.
“Kwasi Kwarteng now has to put his money where his mouth is; if he wants to improve the lot of UK workers, then pick up the phone. We’ve got a list of desperately needed workers’ rights ready to go.
“He could start by outlawing the appalling fire and rehire practice that is laying waste to workers’ wages across the country, and fix sick pay so that being unwell and unable to work is not a sure path to poverty.”
Kwasi Kwarteng responded to the criticism by posting on Twitter:
“We are not going to lower the standards of workers’ rights. The UK has one of the best workers’ rights records in the world – going further than the EU in many areas. We want to protect and enhance workers’ rights going forward, not row back on them.”
Comment
This development should provide some comfort to those who were concerned Kwasi Kwarteng’s plans could lead to an erosion of employment rights. Certainly for the time being there is no plan to reduce UK entitlements and employment rights.
How we can help
Laura Kearsley is a Partner in our expert Employment Law team.
If you would like any advice in relation to the subjects discussed in this article, such as working time and holiday pay calculation disputes, please contact Laura or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online enquiry form.