Boris Johnson’s Conservative government are set to break one of their key post-Brexit promises after plans to decimate YOUR rights at work – including laws to slash holiday pay entitlements, bin rest breaks, and allow bosses to force you to work longer hours – were leaked following meetings between Senior Tory officials and big business Chiefs.
According to the Financial Times, worker protections that the Tories repeatedly promised to protect after the UK left the EU are actually now set to be “ripped up” as part of a massive post-Brexit destruction of UK Workers’ Rights.
The secretive plans are also predicted to benefit wealthy bosses to the tune of billions whilst severely impacting the take-home pay of many ordinary workers.
Areas being targeted for divergence from EU regulations within the documents reportedly include plans to slash holiday pay entitlements, binning laws on mandatory rest breaks, and scrapping the 48-hour Working Time Directive – an EU rule which currently prevents bosses from forcing employees to work excruciatingly long hours, and which workers currently have power over.
Writing on Twitter, the Labour Minister and former leader of the party, Ed Miliband, described the plans as a “disgrace“, adding:
“This leak exposes the truth about the Government’s priorities, which are way out of step with the needs of workers and their families. In the midst of the worst economic crisis in three centuries, ministers are preparing to take a sledgehammer to workers’ rights.
“These proposals are not about cutting red tape for businesses but ripping up vital rights for workers. People are already deeply worried about their jobs and health. It’s a disgrace the Government is considering forcing them to work longer hours or lose paid holidays.
“The Government wants Britain to compete on the back of ordinary working people losing their rights. Labour will fight tooth and nail against them. This is a fight about who we are as a country and how we succeed.”
This leak exposes the truth about the Government's priorities, which are way out of step with the needs of workers and their families. In the midst of the worst economic crisis in three centuries, ministers are preparing to take a sledgehammer to workers’ rights. (1/3) https://t.co/Ohy35NKRsc
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) January 14, 2021
And, whilst free-marketeers and super-rich bosses are said to be delighted at Boris Johnson’s plans to slash rights for ordinary workers, the Trades Union Congress stated the plans would result in “a significant monetary loss” for workers, especially to those who rely on overtime to make up their hours.
Analysis
Since the Brexit referendum, and for the entire four and a half years that have passed since, the Tories have repeatedly, continuously, and steadfastly promised that they would not, under any circumstances, attempt to use the UK’s departure from the EU water down the current level of rights that workers currently enjoy.
However, today’s leak shows the Tories were talking absolute shit. As per usual.
If you voted for Brexit, we sincerely hope this is what you wanted – because, thanks to the 80-seat majority the country decided to hand compulsive liar Boris Johnson in December 2019, the Tories can pretty much do whatever they want.
And, surprise surprise, it seems the Tories want to use their power to take even more from the poor to give to their rich mates – as they literally always have done.
