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Responding to reports in the press today (Tuesday) that Cameron is planning to water down employment rights ahead of the EU poll, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“These reports confirm that we were right to warn about Cameron’s designs on workers’ rights in his EU renegotiation strategy.

1 September 2015

Responding to reports in the press today (Tuesday) that Cameron is planning to water down employment rights ahead of the EU poll, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“These reports confirm that we were right to warn about Cameron’s designs on workers’ rights in his EU renegotiation strategy.

“The Prime Minister has been beaten back from the most extreme measures, under pressure from other European leaders who have been lobbied by our fellow trade unionists. But this clearly indicates that the paid holidays, rest breaks and limits on the working week of the Working Time Directive are still under threat. So too, we believe, are protections for temporary agency workers.

“Cameron must stop listening to the hard right on his backbenches, who want flexibility only for big business while denying it to workers’ families, and start listening to trade unions and the working people who repeatedly tell pollsters that if staying in Europe might mean losing rights and protections at work, they might choose to vote to leave.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @The_TUC and follow the TUC press team @tucnews
- Congress 2015 will be held in the Brighton Centre from Sunday 13 September to Wednesday 16 September. Media passes can be obtained by visiting www.tuc.org.uk/MediaCredentials2015 and completing an online form. However, as the closing date has passed, an administration fee of £75 must be paid.

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
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
Clare Santry  T: 020 7467 1372  M: 07717 531150  E: csantry@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson (Mon to Wed)  T: 020 7467 1337  M: 07900 910624  E: egibson@tuc.org.uk
Kay Atwal (Thur and Fri)  T: 020 7467 1385  M: 07941 547469  E: katwal@tuc.org.uk

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