TUC hits out at “disappointing” plans to tackle corporate misbehaviour

date: For immediate release

Commenting on today’s (Tuesday) Green Paper on corporate governance, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“This is not what Theresa May promised. Today’s proposals are disappointing and will not do enough to shake-up corporate Britain.

"We need the voice of elected workers in the boardroom, rather than on advisory panels.

"The Prime Minister vowed to govern for working people. She should let them have a say where it really matters.”

A new poll published today by the TUC, and conducted by Opinium, finds that six in ten (59%) people support the election of worker representatives onto the boards of large companies. Only 10% of those polled opposed the idea.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

- The TUC opposes companies hand-picking non-executive directors to speak behalf of staff and will be making this and other points strongly during the government’s consultation and subsequent policy development.

- Opinium Research polled 2,000 nationally representative UK adults aged 18+ between  25-28 November 2016

- The TUC recently published a report All Aboard: making worker representation on company boards a reality, which sets out the case for worker representation on boards, how it works in practice in other European economies, and how it could be put into practice in the UK. More information and the full report is here: www.tuc.org.uk/economic-issues/corporate-governance/workplace-issues/all-aboard-making-worker-representation
- All TUC press releases can be found at tuc.org.uk/media
- TUC Press Office on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:
Press Office  T: 020 7467 1248  E: media@tuc.org.uk
Alex Rossiter  T: 020 7467 1285  M: 07887 572130  E: arossiter@tuc.org.uk
Tim Nichols  T: 020 7467 1388  M: 07808 761844  E: tnichols@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson (Mon to Thurs) T: 020 7467 1337  M: 07900 910624  E: egibson@tuc.org.uk
Michael Pidgeon  T: 020 7467 1372  M: 07717 531150  E: mpidgeon@tuc.org.uk