Friday 9 September 2016

May Challenged to Protect Employment Rights

A challenge has been issued to Theresa May to provide commitments that employment rights provided under EU law will be protected following Brexit.

The challenge comes from a new cross-party group set up by pro-remain MPs,chaired by Labour MP,Chuka Umunna.The Vote Leave Watch group warns that a range of rights - including protection for young workers for annual leave and rest breaks - could be lost after Brexit unless the Government draws up new laws to replace them.

He has written to Theresa May after commissioning the House of Commons library to list the employment rights that currently arise  due to the UK's membership of the European Union which,he says,would "fall away" on departure from the union.

Vote Leave Watch says that  the Government could preserve workers' rights by passing legislation to replace EU laws,such as the working time directive,that will cease to apply to the UK upon Brexit.It also calls on the Government to conduct an audit of all instances where decisions of the European Court of Justice have created greater legal employment rights for British workers,and then commit to enshrine these rights in law