Tory Campaign Against Trade Union Paid Time Off Continues

An unprecedented and surgical attack took place in the House of Commons today.

Tory MP Jesse Norman moved a 'ten minute rule' leave to introduce a Bill castigating the Trade Union movement and demanding that those trade union reps being paid by their employers should have their employer remunerated by the Trade Union involved.

The wording of the motion:

"That leave be given to bring in a Bill to provide that pay for hours worked on behalf of trade unions by trade union officials during hours when they are paid by an employer should be refunded to the employer by the trade union; and for connected purposes."

Quoting outlandish figures of £0.5 billion pound cost to the tax payer in paid time off for Trade Union officials representing their members, and attacking Trade Unions’ structures; Jesse Norman’s private members Bill would cause devastation to workplace representation, including Health & Safety reps, by requiring Trade Unions to refund the pay for time off made to those reps by their employer.

This would increase costs of membership to members and encourage many to withdraw membership given the current financial climate.

This of course being the aim of the Government to minimise trade union representation and membership in the workplace.

It would also see the destruction of the Health & Safety Committees and Safety Reps regulations which give USRs paid time off to attend meetings and investigate accidents. It would also compromise the existence of workplace health & safety committees, as no doubt this Government’s hatred of all things to do with employment protection and health & safety at work protection; would be the motive for further attacks on these regulations.

Jesse Norman’s research was provided by the Tax Payers Alliance who continually attack the Trade Union movement and Health and Safety at work regulations.

In the event, the private members bill was lost as 132 MPs voted to allow it to be heard, but 211 MPs voted against doing so. Given that many Tory MPs voted against it, they may have done so knowing no need for it to be carried as the outlandish figures given by Jesse Norman in the debate and the resultant media headlines to follow; will allow them to feel job well done!

However, whilst this blatant warning barrage across the bows of the Trade Union movement did not hit its target, there is no doubt that this attack will be followed by a systematic attack by the Government and new media such as the Daily Mail and BBC News.

Source: House of Commons Order Of Business / BBC Parliament

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