“The committee’s report draws attention to the complexity and scale of this Bill. Businesses fear that the Bill will do more harm than good unless the asks made of employers are clear, practical and – as the committee rightly emphasises – properly enforced. If that means putting more detail into the Bill as the committee suggests, then a longer timeline is needed than the government currently intends. If the government plans to provide that clarity through regulations instead, then a proper partnership with employers and trade unions on fundamental details is necessary. What the trade unions negotiated with Labour before the election is one thing, but good employment relations rely on bringing employers and employees together – not pre-election deals that are short on detail and long on potential economic damage. Let’s take time to talk and get things right.”
Neil Carberry added:
“The committee points to examples of perceived poor practice by employers and a number of other risks in this report – this is worthy of our time and attention. But we must also reflect on the vast majority of employers, who do things the right way. They are suffering with a range of rising business costs, including the National Insurance changes brought in by the Budget. And they can only create jobs if their firms are sustainable. A flexible labour market is critical to this, with different forms of work a fundamental part of generating opportunity and growth – not a route to avoiding anything. These employers need Parliament’s support, not more challenges. We welcome the report’s acknowledgment of the fact that agency workers usually want the flexibility this way of working offers – that support should flow through to how the Bill and secondary legislation is designed.”
