Category: News

A radical and important Bill that will give all workers the same employment rights reached the House of Commons yesterday.

The Status of Workers Bill, proposed by Labour peer John Hendy QC, would bring Britain into line with many other economies by having just one category of worker.

The private members’ Bill passed its third reading in the House of Lords on Friday and will today be introduced into the Commons by Labour MP Andy McDonald.

The Bill will then join a list of other private members’ Bills to be considered by the House.

There are currently five different legal categories of worker — employees, limb workers — or people who have a contract but not a contract of employment, such as Uber drivers — the bogus self-employed, personal service companies and the self-employed.

Self-employed status is unaffected by the Hendy proposals but the Bill aims to merge all other categories and give everyone full access to employment rights in line with many European countries.

Lord Hendy said: “Many employers are using the excuse of the pandemic to worsen the terms and conditions of their workers.”

He added the Bill “would prevent greedy, uncaring employers undercutting good employers who are prepared to allow their staff full employment rights.

“It would also stop the worst employers freeloading on the state by using categories for their staff that avoid the employers having to pay National Insurance, tax and pensions contributions.”

The proposals were also part of Labour’s 2019 general election manifesto, where working people would have been granted sweeping new employment and trade union rights if Labour had won.

The Bill is supported by the Institute of Employment Rights (IER), of which Lord Hendy is chair.

The IER tweeted on Saturday that it was “delighted that the Bill passed its third reading in the House of Lords.”

Patrick Harrington, General Secretary of Solidarity union, commented:

“We’ve long supported the IER on this. The current legal situation is a mess. There should be one category – Worker“.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is also supporting what it hailed as a “transformative Bill.”

A TUC spokesperson said: “For too long, false self-employment has been used as a cover to deny workers their basic rights.

“The Status of Workers Bill would give the millions of long-exploited gig workers in the UK greater rights.

“The gig economy has become emblematic of workers’ rights abuses in the modern economy, but that could be about to change.”

The TUC has called for the government to delay the introduction of mandatory vaccinations for NHS workers in bid to avert a staffing crisis. COVID-19 vaccinations are due to become mandatory for anyone deployed by a registered person delivering Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated activities who has direct, face-to-face contact with service users.This includes health and care staff with clinical and non-clinical roles, for example: care workers, health care assistants, nurses, paramedics, ODPs, receptionists, managers, ward clerks, porters and cleaners.

NHS England data shows 39,142 NHS staff at hospital trusts in England were absent for Covid-19 reasons on January 2, up 59% on the previous week (24,632) and more than three times the number at the start of December (12,508). The TUC warns introduction of the mandatory vaccination policy will exacerbate this crisis, creating a bureaucratic and staffing nightmare for NHS Trusts and making it impossible to maintain safe staffing levels in the coming weeks. And the union body strongly urges everyone who isn’t medically exempt to get vaccinated and boosted, and for ministers to make that as easy for whole NHS staff team.

The union body says ministers must:

Delay with immediate effect mandatory vaccination as a condition of deployment in the NHS.

Prioritise access to lateral flow and PCR tests for more key workers in health and other vital public services. This should reach more than the current proposal for just 100,000 ‘critical workers’ and must include outsourced NHS workers such as porters and cleaners.

Ensure NHS staff health and safety with access to high quality PPE and workplaces that are properly ventilated to minimise transmission and infection.

Opposition to strong arm tactics

Key unions representing health care workers have previously spoken out against mandatory vaccination, calling for a focus on persuasion instead of coercion. Rehana Azam, GMB national secretary, said:

“GMB’s position is consistent: we are opposed to legally enforced medical procedures as a condition of employment – it’s heavy-handed and will deepen the health service’s devastating staff black hole.

“Our union has encouraged take up of the vaccine and booster jabs, but the government needs to look beyond strong-arm tactics.”

Unison have said:

“UNISON supports vaccination in health and social care. The vaccine is safe, and we encourage all members who do not have a medical exemption to get their jab. But vaccination should be your decision and the UK government should promote persuasion and reassurance. We have made arguments that this will result in people leaving health and care jobs, putting pressure on already stretched services.”

Patrick Harrington, General Secretary of Solidarity said:

“The vast majority of NHS staff are vaccinated. These bully-boy tactics are unnecessary. We support the position of our brothers and sisters in other unions such as the GMB, UNISON and FBU on this.“

SIGN THE PETITION

Click this link to sign the petition “Prohibit employers from requiring staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19”: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/599841

The Fire Brigades union has issued a statement outlining its position on mandatory Covid vaccinations.

They express solidarity “with our brother and sister workers in health and care unions in opposing mandatory vaccination requirements.” 

The FBU state “The FBU supports vaccination of FBU members and all workers, unless they are medically exempt or individual circumstances dictate otherwise, but believes education and support is the best method to achieve this rather than compulsion.” 

In an important pledge to workers they state:

“The FBU will explore all industrial and legal resources at our disposal to challenge:

a. Any proposed introduction of mandatory vaccination in the FRS by government(s) in the UK;
b. Any proposed introduction of mandatory vaccination by any FRS;
c. Any proposed introduction of mandatory vaccination data gathering by any FRS;          
d. The detrimental treatment of any FBU member through the introduction of employer-imposed or government-initiated introduction of mandatory vaccination for the fire sector.“

The FBU statement can be read here: https://www.fbu.org.uk/circulars/2021hoc0622mw/fbu-position-vaccination-covid-19

The position of your union, Solidarity, is very similar to that of the FBU.

We also oppose any introduction of mandatory vaccination.

If you are affected by this issue please contact us immediately.

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

As 2022 dawns, we are entering the third calendar year of having to live with the Covid-19 virus.

The effects of the government’s response to this virus on British workers has been severe; workers in retail and hospitality especially have had a hard time with an early lockdown from last Christmas onwards and on-again and off-again directives and often contradictory advice from the Westminster, Holyrood, Cardiff Bay, and Stormont powers-that-be.

The furlough scheme that helped many workers has gone and is probably gone for good. During the pandemic, the adage of never letting a good crisis go to waste has not been lost on some unscrupulous employers. British Gas has been one of the most prominent companies in the Roll of Dishonour trying to ‘fire and rehire’ employees to drive down rates of pay and conditions.

Unfortunately, this isn’t always illegal, but we in Solidarity will continue to do all in our power to challenge and overturn any attempt to fire and rehire our members in the coming New Year. 

Another disturbing trend is the growth of a ‘no jab-no job’ culture that threatens to sack workers who – for whatever reason – have decided not to take up the offer of Covid-19 vaccinations. We are disappointed that some other trade unions will not support those of their members who are so threatened.

Solidarity is opposed to discrimination on grounds of race, sex, sexuality, and disability. Our union defends the right of its members to take – or not to take – the various vaccines on offer. Using Employer’s Disciplinary Procedure’s, we will challenge those employers who seek to impose compulsory vaccinations on our members and defend them wherever possible against unfair dismissal. 

As we enter the New Year, however, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are signs of hope in post-Brexit Britain.

People are seeking out and buying more British-made goods and services; those keeping fellow British workers in employment.

Solidarity will continue to campaign for its members and supporters to buy British where they can.

There may still be trouble ahead, but your union is optimistic, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst as we gear up to defend the rights of British workers in 2022. 

On behalf of the National Executive Committee, I wish you all a happy, prosperous, and undramatic New Year.

Glen Nicklasson

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) is one of my favourite films. The film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his personal dreams, in order to help others in his community. On Christmas Eve he attempts suicide. He is stopped by his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody. Clarence shows George how he has touched the lives of others and how different life would be for his wife Mary and his community of Bedford Falls if he had not been born. George realises how important his contribution is. It’s a powerful and positive message. Perhaps that’s one reason it has become a Christmas favourite.

But what’s that got to do with a union? I seem to hear you ask. Well, I often think about George Bailey when I see our Reps going about their work. What would people do if they weren’t there to help them save their jobs, protect them from harassment, overturn unfair decisions or get them the benefits they are entitled to? I think about what would happen if our members weren’t there to stand-up and speak out about issues and injusticies in their workplace. I hope that you, like George come to realise your value to your community and workmates.

As we celebrate the holiday season, we remember those whom we lost during the past year. We are also thinking of those members and employees who are currently struggling with ill health, and I would like to take this opportunity to send them our union’s best wishes.

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas, a happy and safe holiday, and all the very best for the New Year.

In solidarity

Patrick Harrington