The one place of hope for working people
is trade unions, banding together as
we’ve
done for generations to fight for the
Better Way. That was the message from
UNISON Scottish
Secretary Mike Kirby as he slammed government
attacks on basic employment rights at
the STUC today.
The STUC pledged to work with the TU
congresses across the UK to build a wide
ranging campaign
to protect workers’ rights and
for a repeal of all anti-trade union
legislation.
Speaking for the General Council, Mike
accused opponents of workplace rights,
like venture capitalist Adrian
Beecroft,
of “using the economic crisis as
an excuse to hack up workers rights.”
“Half a million jobs have been
lost in the public services. 30,000 in
Scotland according
to our estimates. 51,700 by government’s
own figures since the economic crisis
began”,
said Mike. “And another 250,000 more
will go across Scotland as we’re
only quarter way through government’s
measures.
“To make it cheaper for the government
to dismiss so many workers, it has instituted
new laws.”
Those include:-
Mike rounded on ‘Zero hours’ contracts
that give workers no security and no
way of planning what they will earn,
if anything
at all.
And he slammed Tory Chancellor
George Osborne's proposal that workers
exchange
their rights
of unfair dismissal and redundancy
for tax free company shares. A move which “marks
a new low in the debasement of employment
rights in the UK”, said Mike.
“This
proposal for a modern form of indentured
servitude should be roundly condemned
and resisted by the labour movement.” See
the full text of Mike's speech here
Speaking
on government plans to change the TUPE
regulations that protect workers
when they are outsourced, Dave Watson,
UNISON Scottish Organiser, warned that
the government’s own assessment
showed the worst off would be worst
affected.
Even employers and lawyers
were against the changes, with the
Law Society response
warning: “The government has
mistakenly labelled clarity as "gold
plating".
Repealing the 2006 amendments would
only increase uncertainty, and thus
the number
of disputes. Businesses and employees
both want certainty.”
“So where did this daft plan come
from?” Dave
asked. “I suspect this was
one of those cowboy employers who
bent the Prime
Minister’s ear at the dinner
table. You know the ones – dining
with the PM at the most expensive
restaurant in
London. No not Claridges – No.10
Downing Street. Dinner at £50,000
a go in donations to the Tories and
you can trump the common sense of
the sensible
business and legal voice in the country.”
And
it’s not just the UK Government
that can get a bit muddled when it
comes to staff transfer. Scottish
Parliament
Bills delivering public service reform
often have very poor staff transfer
provisions.
“In reorganisation after reorganisation
we are constantly reinventing the
wheel because officials struggle to understand
what is required” added Dave. “This
could be dealt with in Scotland with
a workforce framework, as UNISON
has proposed,
for organisational change that includes
common staff transfer provisions.”
“No one will be surprised that not one provision
in these changes strengthen workers
rights”,
said Dave as he put UNISON’s
position that TUPE needs to be improved,
particularly
over pensions and public administrative
transfers.
16 April 2013
