Imagine a country in which there is no statutory right to paid
holiday, no legal limit on the number of hours employees can be required
to work, no right to a daily rest period, no laws to prevent employers
discriminating against workers who are disabled or who have particular
religious beliefs, and no right for employees to take time off work to
look after a sick child.
This was the UK before the New Labour government was elected in 1997.
Since then a substantial number of employment rights have been
introduced – most of which have their roots in
EU legislation.
Thanks to the EU, employers cannot treat part-time workers less
favourably than full-time workers, working parents have a right to take
leave to look after their children, and temporary agency workers and
workers with fixed-term contracts are entitled to the same basic
conditions as comparable workers with permanent contracts.
Employees also have rights to paid holiday and rest periods, as well
as the right to be informed and consulted about matters that directly
concern them at work. Employers, meanwhile, are forbidden from
discriminating against their employees on grounds of religion or belief,
disability, age or sexual orientation.
There’s strong reason to believe
that many of these rights would be lost should Britain leave the EU.
Read more:n Britain: Why Brexit Would Be Bad For Employment Rights
