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The TUC has today (Wednesday) written to David Cameron urging him not to jeopardise the rights of British workers in his bid to renegotiate Britain’s membership of the EU.

24 June 2015

The TUC has today (Wednesday) written to David Cameron urging him not to jeopardise the rights of British workers in his bid to renegotiate Britain’s membership of the EU.

In an open letter to David Cameron ahead of the EU Leaders’ Summit, the TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“We believe that working people deserve some straight answers on the nature of the renegotiation. We respectfully request that you publicly confirm or deny that you are seeking to worsen existing rights and, at a time when casual employment such as zero-hours working is spreading across Europe, prevent the introduction of new ones that would protect workers against exploitation.”

The TUC warns Cameron that presenting British workers with the prospect of an EU stripped of workers’ rights could seriously backfire:

“Don't take working people for granted by demanding opt outs from the workplace rights that Europe has delivered. British workers are already some of the least protected workers in Europe, well behind more successful economies like Austria, Germany and Sweden. But British workers do value the protections that they have. Our polling evidence shows that if you take rights away, working people are less likely to vote to stay in the EU.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- Full text of the letter from TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady to David Cameron:

Dear Prime Minister

EU referendum renegotiation - EU summit

I know that you are receiving a great deal of advice about your EU renegotiating strategy ahead of the European Council this week. The TUC, too, wants to see reform in Europe, and a greater priority given to creating decent jobs at good wages, replacing austerity with the European Trade Union Confederation’s sustainable investment plan.

We believe that working people deserve some straight answers on the nature of the renegotiation. We respectfully request that you publicly confirm or deny that you are seeking to worsen existing rights and, at a time when casual employment such as zero-hours working is spreading across Europe, prevent the introduction of new ones that would protect workers against exploitation.

Don't take working people for granted by demanding opt outs from the workplace rights that Europe has delivered. British workers are already some of the least protected workers in Europe, well behind more successful economies like Austria, Germany and Sweden. But British workers do value the protections that they have. Our polling evidence shows that if you take rights away, working people are less likely to vote to stay in the EU.

Far from being 'red tape' holding British business back, measures like the Working Time Directive and the Temporary Agency Workers Directive provide equal treatment and reduce the tensions and divisions in communities and workplaces affected by migration.  

Such protections also help create a more modern economy, which is why calls for a moratorium on workplace rights are at best misplaced. People's rights at work need to keep evolving to meet new challenges and stay relevant to people's working lives.

If working people are presented with the prospect of staying in a European Union stripped of workplace rights, they may well vote to leave.

Yours sincerely

FRANCES O’GRADY

- Polling published last month by the TUC revealed that British people are far more likely to want to remain part of the EU if it leads to better pay and rights at work. The poll of 4,000 UK voters – commissioned from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner – showed that 55 per cent of the public would be more supportive of Britain's membership of Europe if it did more to help working people get decent pay and conditions at work. By contrast, fewer than one in four (23 per cent) said they would be more supportive of the UK’s EU membership if it did more to cut red tape on businesses.

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Clare Santry  T: 020 7467 1372  M: 07717 531150  E: csantry@tuc.org.uk
Alex Rossiter  T: 020 7467 1285  M: 07887 572130  E: arossiter@tuc.org.uk
Tim Nichols  T: 020 7467 1288  M: 07876 452902  E: tnichols@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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