Stronger organisation only solution to watering down of TUPE

The TUC has warned that the Con Dem Government's changes to the Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment (TUPE) will 'drive down pay and conditions for hundreds of thousands of workers and make privatisation cheaper and quicker'. Which is precisely the point of the reforms at a time when the marketization of public services is being intensified and the number of TUPE transfers in the UK is likely to rocket past 50,000 in the next 12 months. Job security and contractual conditions of transferring workers will now come under serious threat. UNISON's priority must be to strengthen workplace organisation to resist privatisation and, when transfers take place, challenge employers who seek to maximise profit by imposing inferior terms and conditions on union members:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/basic-rights-work/employment-rights/your-rights-work/weakening-tupe-law-will-put

New legislation leaves TUPE hanging by a thread

Legislation amending the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE 2006) was laid before Parliament on Friday. As expected the proposed changes, which will take effect on 31 Januury 2014, will weaken employment protection when services are outsourced.

TUPE changes aim to make privatisation cheaper and quicker

#TUC13 Government proposals to weaken the Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment (TUPE) regulations ‘will drive down terms and conditions for vulnerable workers and make privatisation cheaper and quicker’ says TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady in a timely warning about the latest Con Dem threat to public service workers. With the NHS alone embarking on its single biggest outsourcing of services so far by inviting bids for a contract that will be worth between £700m and £1.1bn, the serious implications of TUPE no longer applying to outsourcing cannot be overstated. A major joint union campaign is urgently required to oppose these changes:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/tuc-22562-f0.cfm

TUPE changes - from 'Protection of Employees' to 'Promises for Employers'

'The Coalition's proposals for the reform of TUPE Regulations aim to strip back employee protection (the very purpose of the legislation) and give businesses an easy ride when it comes to dismissing workers and cutting pay' writes Roger Jeary on the Institute of Employment Rights blog:
http://www.ier.org.uk/blog/tupe-protection-employees-promises-employers

TUPE or not TUPE?

When Cameron talks about a flexible Europe it is clear to trade unions that what he really means is a flexible European workforce with few employment rights other than the right to be dismissed without notice by greedy employers.

Hands Off TUPE

The TUC has echoed UNISON's recent warning that weakening the Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment (TUPE) regulations will drive down pay, increase unemployment and lead to an increased involvement of the private sector in public services, with contractors competing for business on lower wages rather than on the quality of the service they provide. The Public Services Industrial Complex is lobbying Coalition Ministers to reverse measures introduced by the previous Government to remove any ambiguity that TUPE applies where 'service provision changes': http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-20619-f0.cfm

TUPE attacks prove that Clegg's muscular definition is no more than knots on cotton

It is no surprise that the Government and their business cronies are starting to unpick the employment rights of UK workers. There are serious right wing moves within Europe started by Sarkozy and Blair who backed Angela Merkal’s moves to create ‘freedoms and flexibilities’ for employers at the expense of worker rights.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/may/11/employee-rights-attacked

Consultation sham as Con Dems move to scrap Fair Deal on Pensions

Yesterday marked the commencement of a Government consultation on the scrapping of pension protection for workers who are subject to forced transfer from public to private sector employment. The consultation closes on 15 June 2011:  http://www.info4local.gov.uk/documents/consultations/1856577

Time to defend TUPE‏

One of the defining battles of the Thatcher years was the trade unions principled stance to ensure the Acquired Rights Directive (later known as TUPE in domestic legislation) was adhered to in public sector contracts. TUPE was instrumental in ending the practice of outsourcing workers in order to reduce wage bills. After a couple of decades of complex case law TUPE has stood the test of time and helps to cement arguments to protect the pay and conditions of workers transferred to new providers. It is far from perfect however and there are worrying developments which will fundamentally undermine worker rights.