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As previously reported by Unionsafety, the Tory-led Coalition Government is using ‘cutting red tape’ as an excuse to slash away at the rights that millions of working people rely on. Health and safety, equal rights, employment law, many of which would not be in UK law and therefore offering protection to UK workers; if it were not for the EU.
Whilst the public are being conned as anti-Europe factions within the Government deny they want us out of Europe because of regulation that helps to save lives and protect against injuries and deaths at work, not to mention all UK consumers; they claim it is all about the cost to the country’s businesses and jobs!
They ignore the realities and benefits that far outweigh the cost, but more importantly, without which there would be huge increases in deaths and injuries at work, and at home due to unsafe products being sold, not to mention the environment.
 Tory MP, Priti Patel, published a report in early July in which she claims ‘red tape’ from Europe has cost the country over £5 billion!
But what is this ‘red tape’ that’s worrying her so much?
She’s talking about rules that limit the hours that self-employed lorry drivers can work – reducing accidents on our roads.
She’s also talking about new laws toughening up control of deadly asbestos, including making sure that people working to remove asbestos get regular health checks.
Additionally she opposes making our children safer by the introduction of new laws on children’s toys introduced by the EU.
Is that ‘red tape’? we ask, is that ‘ridiculous’?
She is quoted in the media as saying:
“The order to force self-employed drivers to comply with Working Time rules was imposed at a cost of £806million over 10 years, despite the government admitting ‘evidence suggest that no problem exists in the UK regarding road safety and self-employed drivers.”
And this little gem about the NHS:
“Ridiculous laws have hit our economy hard and are stifling growth and job creation. The Working Time Directive prevents the NHS from treating patients. Green energy rules are adding billions of pounds to energy bills.”
Tory MPs and this government are like holocaust deniers as they insist British work places are intrinsically safer than ever they were, and use that false fact as an excuse to cut health and safety protection for all workers to a bare minimum!
Tory MP Priti Patel and her fellow ‘deniers’ of the need to protect UK workers and our children claim that "£5 billion of new regulatory costs have been burdened on this country in the last two years.”
 But a spokesperson for the European Commission is quoted in the Daily Mail in response to their article covering Ms Patel’s claims and whole list of legislation, as saying:
“First, the Commission only ever proposes legislation where its impact assessment clearly shows that overall benefits – not reflected in Ms Patel’s figures -outweigh the cost.”
In what makes the Government’s position totally hypocritical, the spokesperson added:
“The UK supported most of the regulations listed so clearly came to the same conclusion - that benefits outweighed costs.
For example, most jurisdictions – UK, EU and worldwide - agree that there should be strong rules on hazardous substances and toy safety, even if it costs manufacturers money to minimise the risk that their products kill or maim children.”
The statement concludes by blowing Ms Patel’s claims out of the water:
“The UK government (BiS) has estimated the benefits deriving from the single market alone at up to £92billion every year, therefore a huge multiple of Ms Patel’s debatable figure for the alleged costs of Regulation.”
Her list consists of those laws which she and the Tories wish to abolish and comprises of:
Environmental Permitting Regulations 2011
Waste Regulations 2011
Motor Fuel and Merchant Shipping Regulations 2010
Cleaner Road Transport Vehicles Regulations 2011
Toys Safety Regulations 2011
Electricity and Gas Regulations 2011
Electronic Communications Order 2011
Equality Act 2010 Regulations (insurance for female drivers) 2012
Packaging Waste Regulations 2012
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2011
Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
Council Regulation (residence permits for third-country nationals)
Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012
Source: TUC / Mail / Unionsafety
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