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Responding to the Queen’s Speech today (Wednesday), TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“Working people will be worried by a Queen’s Speech that declares open season on so many of their rights and protections.

27 May 2015

Responding to the Queen’s Speech today (Wednesday), TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“Working people will be worried by a Queen’s Speech that declares open season on so many of their rights and protections.

“A government that claimed to be on the side of working people now wants to tip the balance of power against them with draconian restrictions on the right to strike. The real agenda is stopping public sector workers from fighting back against the extreme cuts and pay freezes expected in George Osborne’s budget.

“David Cameron has positioned himself as the Prime Minister for bad bosses, ready to chip away at paid holidays, rest breaks and maternity rights in EU negotiations. The TUC wants Britain to remain at the heart of a fair Europe for working people, but it won’t help people vote to stay if EU protections on decent pay and conditions are lost.

“The Queen’s Speech signals a new assault on the safety net any one of us might need one day if we lose our job or become ill. We need a restoration of job guarantees for young people, not a second class system of social security protection.

“Children account for three in every four people hit by the benefit cap, so lowering the cap will make child poverty worse. We should instead be dealing with root causes like the lack of affordable housing in London.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

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