TUCG unions also expressed grave concern over the proporsal to exclude employees on fixed-term contracts from collective redundancy agreements when they reach the end of their current contract, futher eroding the job security of staff in areas like hospitality or higher education where a high proportion of the workforce are on such contracts.

 

John McDonnell MP commented: “People were already feeling insecure about their jobs, with unemployment running so high. Making it easier to sack workers will do nothing to get people back into jobs, just the opposite. Coming in the run up to Christmas, this further blow to job security means hard working people have even more to worry about.” 

 

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary said: "While handing tax breaks to millionaires this Tory-led government has announced policy after policy designed to make it easier and quicker to throw ordinary people out of work, and then ministers seek to blame them for being unemployed” 

 

"The truth behind the government's ideological rhetoric is that undermining people's basic employment rights will not create a single job and will do nothing to improve our economy." 

 

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary said: "The government has decided to reduce the consultation period available for redundancies by half - an appalling move that will damage vulnerable people at risk of losing their job.

 

"The purpose of the existing time limit is to allow for the chance to explore alternatives to redundancy. The move to cut time shows utter contempt both for basic employment rights and for those at risk of being put out of work." 

 

  

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