TUC rounds on Beecroft report

More than three million people working in small companies with fewer than 10 staff will be turned into second-class citizens if supporters of government adviser Adrian Beecroft report get their way, according to TUC analysis published today.

More than three million people working in small companies with fewer than 10 staff will be turned into second-class citizens if supporters of government adviser Adrian Beecroft report get their way, according to TUC analysis published today.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "We have made steady progress in the UK in securing a floor of minimum rights at work for all. But they are hardly generous. The OECD shows that among the world’s 36 most prosperous countries, only workers in the USA have poorer rights than UK employees.
"Almost every advance has been bitterly opposed. The same arguments used against legal protection for child chimney sweeps in the 19th century are repeated every time. But while change has always been slow, it has at least been in the right direction.
"However, the clock is now turning backwards. Already people have to wait two years before getting protection against unfair dismissal. The opponents of workplace decency, like Adrian Beecroft, are using the economic crisis as an excuse to try to smuggle through attacks on employee rights. They say they are doing this for growth, yet Mr Beecroft offers no economic evidence in support of his arguments beyond anecdote.
"In particular he and his supporters in government want to turn employees in small businesses into second-class citizens by stripping them of many rights."
The TUC says the leaked copy of Beecroft’s report called for staff in small firms to lose unfair dismissal, flexible working, parental leave and equal pay rights among others. However, in the report published by the Government there was no mention of parental leave or flexible working.
Barber continued: "The conclusion is clear. Only take a job with a small firm if you can’t get one with a medium or large employer. If you work in a small company start looking for a job with a bigger one. Do not be stuck as a second-class citizen at work.
"Companies of all sizes need to contribute to economic growth. Restricting the talent pool for small firms will not help them grow. The very many good employers in small firms who have no interest in treating their staff badly will suffer unfairly but just as much as the minority of bad bosses from being seen as second-class, second-rate employers."
Launching an employment rights campaign, Barber added: "Cutting rights will not boost growth."

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