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Press Release

Cable's proposals are a charter for 'bullies and rogue employers', says Unite

23 November 2011

Proposals by Business Secretary, Vince Cable to make it easier for bosses to sack workers were branded as 'a charter for bullies and rogue employers' by Unite, the largest union in the country, today (Wednesday, 23 November).

Unite's general secretary, Len McCluskey said: 'At a time when unemployment is at a 17-year high and youth unemployment has topped a record one million, it is appalling that this government should concentrate on making it easier to fire people, rather than getting people back to work.'

'Ministers are hell-bent on removing long-established rights at work, making dismissal easier and promoting a culture of fear in the workplace. These proposals are a charter for rogue employers and bullies.'

'If ministers praise our 'flexible' labour market, then what problems is this concerted move against working people meant to be solving? Vince Cable knows there is no business case for this, whatsoever, other than for the right-wing ideologues in the coalition to curry favour with the pressure groups like the CBI and the unaccountable Taxpayers' Alliance.'

'And the government has yet to set out how this will create one single job. The problems we face as a country, with the highest jobless rates for generations, are profound. Yet the only solution that this government can conjure up is to drill away at employment rights.'

'Young people and women, who typically have shorter service at work, will be hardest hit by the extension, from one-to-two years, the period before an unfair dismissal claim can be made. It will be much harder to make a legitimate claim.'

'As the evidence shows, and this government knows only too well, any spurious claims are rooted out by the system early on. It is not the claims that are vexatious, but this government's argument.'

'It is clear that David Cameron has gone into 'Flashman' mode and is intent on kicking working people during the worst recession for a generation – but is too scared to tackle to the real architects of the economic crisis – the bankers and the City elite.'

'The Liberal Democrats, rather than holding back the Tories, are willing collaborators in this onslaught on long-established employment practices that have worked well.'

Unite said that those, who study the evidence on industrial tribunals, know the system works extremely well to root out so-called vexatious claims.



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