NASUWT: a sustainable economy cannot be built on abusing the rights of working people
Monday, 12 September 2011 3:05 PM
The NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, will highlight today, to the TUC Congress taking place in London, that working people are facing unprecedented attacks on their pay, pensions and conditions of service and are being put at risk by the deregulation agenda of the Coalition Government.
Speaking on the motion on Trade Union Rights, to be debated this morning, John Rimmer, NASUWT National President, will say:
“Regulation and good practice guidance is being ignored, pay has been frozen, the value of pensions reduced, working conditions worsened and thousands of jobs lost.
“Safety at work has been seriously compromised by the changes to Health and Safety provisions.
“Justified protests from trades unions representing their members have been met with threats of further reduction in trade union rights and plans to restrict access to justice by creating even higher hurdles for exploited employees to seek redress.
“This is not ‘Britain open for business’ as the prime Minister claims. This is ‘Britain open for exploitation and abuse’.”
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:
“The relentless attacks on working people and ordinary families, perpetrated by the Coalition Government in the last twelve months are unprecedented.
“Employers are being given the green light to exploit the workforce and to flout International Labour Law.
“A sustainable economy cannot be built on abusing the rights of working people and denying their trade unions the right to support and represent them.”
ENDS
Stuart Gannon
NASUWT Press Office
Tel: 020 7420 9681
Mobile (and out of hours contact): 07966 198894
Address: 5 King Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8SD
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