If the PM wants to keep Labour switchers on side, he'll need to maintain and extend employment rights.
Since the General Election, we’ve seen a steady drip of leaks and stories on the Johnson government’s attitude to workers’ rights when we leave the EU.
We have already seen reports of threats to ban strikes on the railways, followed by an announcement in the Queens Speech of a bill on employment rights sometime in 2020 – with an implementation date of December.
Those clauses secured by some Labour MPs in Theresa May’s bill on a ‘level playing field for workers’ rights have been unceremoniously binned by Johnson.
At the time unions warned that a majority Conservative government would rip these clauses and argued that the only real guarantee of a level playing field is by ensuring workers’ rights were written into the treaty itself along with a mechanism for enforcement.
Johnson has set his course for a fight with the EU, who have already said a trade deal (even a basic deal) would be conditional on the UK accepting the EU’s rules on level playing fields on worker, consumer and environmental protections. A no deal Brexit – and a fight with both the UK’s unions and the EU on workers rights is looming.
A new post election poll conducted for the TUC shows that it won’t be plain sailing for the Tories.
According to the poll results published today, the vast majority of voters – including those who switched to or voted Conservative – want workers’ rights protected and enhanced. Voters who switched from Labour to the Conservatives are most likely to want stronger worker rights, higher pay and a ban on zero hours contracts.
The poll was conducted by GQR between December 12th and 16th, and shows that nearly 73% of voters say the government must protect and enhance current workplace rights guaranteed by the EU, such as paid holidays and rights for temporary and agency workers.
This is supported by two-thirds (65%) of people who voted Conservative in 2019, and by 8 in 10 (79%) of those who switched from Labour to Conservative.
The vast majority of voters (71%) also want new rights for gig economy workers, including the majority (65%) of Tory voters and those who moved from Labour to the Conservatives during the election (78%).
There is also widespread support amongst the public for banning zero-hours contracts (66%) and having union rights in every workplace (63%).
And there is overwhelming support (68%) among the public for an immediate increase to the minimum wage of £10 an hour, especially among those who switched from Labour to the Conservatives (76%).
TUC’s General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:
“We know there are many in Boris Johnson’s cabinet who want to drive down labour standards. But there is little appetite in Britain – including among Conservative voters – for de-regulation and further tax cuts for the rich.
“The Prime Minister has no more excuses. Voters expect him to protect and strengthen rights at work. And to get on with investing in our public services and boosting wages.”
Tony Burke is Unite Assistant General Secretary, Chair of the Campaign For Trade Union Freedom and the TUC General Council lead on workers and union rights.
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10 Responses to “Brexit: Boris Johnson has got another think coming if he reckons voters will let him undermine workers’ rights”
Dave Roberts
Basically another whinge from a Trades Union big wig afraid that his gravy train may be about to hit the buffers. There has always been on the left the concept that there is a right wing conspiracy to dismantle the welfare state and force everyone back to the 19th century. This thinking is a part of the DNA of the left and nothing will shift it whatever the results for the Tories in working class areas.
Let’s deal with the so called “Zero hours” issue. I have spent my working life in and around the building industry and it has always been, at the craft and sub contracting end, self employed. It was like that in the 60’s and more so now. Go onto any large site anywhere in the country and from the site management down everybody will be working for an agency, on big sites there will be dozens of such employers. It was always called self employment and freelancing neither of which words had negative connotations. It was only when the zero hours/gig economy was discovered that this kind of employment became a kind of fascistic slave labour.
Julia Gibb
@Michael McManus
…what use is it!
Julia Gibb
…what use is it!
If you do not learn from your mistakes the you are destined to repeat them.
The Tories have always made life worse for people – Always!
Returning them to power means that people will suffer. The culture of Greed Is Good has now taken hold. That combined with Right Wing isolationism is the future that people voted for.
Scotland keep rejecting the Tories and we keep getting them in power. If you don’t mind Scotland has had enough. I am certain a future in the EU will benefit us greatly.
Why not be in a Union (EU) were your voice is heard than in one in which you are ignored.(UK)
Dodgy Geezer
Um. The ‘workers’ VOTED for Boris.
Activists might not like this, but the electorate has decided that they don’t like the activists. And they get the last say….
Boffy
Yes, another “think” coming. That should be apparent from the gecko. He will be looking for an escape goat, as he rushes around like a bowl in a china shop. Politicians like him are a diamond dozen. They have no real politics just gimmicks with all the Belgian whistles.