Jack Dromey MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Labour, commenting on reports of Grant Shapps’ plan for “sunset clause” amendments to the Great Repeal Bill, said:

“We have repeatedly warned that the Tories cannot be trusted on rights at work.

“Nobody voted leave to lose basic rights like paid holidays, parental leave and protections for pregnant workers.

“Yet now we know that the Tories are plotting to u-turn on promises to protect workers.

“Only Labour can be trusted to fight for a Brexit for working Britain.”

ENDS

 Notes to editors

1. In his speech during the Brexit debate in the     House of Commons on 12 October, Jack said: 

“The second point is about workers’ rights. The Secretary of State said, “Don’t worry. All will be okay.” I do not believe that. I was a Brexiteer back in the 1970s. What changed my mind was social Europe in the 1980s. I remember taking the case of the Eastbourne dustmen to the European Court of Justice, because the then Conservative Government had refused to extend TUPE to cover 6 million public servants, with the terrible consequences that tens of thousands of jobs were privatised without protection, pay was cut in half and the workforce was sometimes cut by a third.

Now, as in the 1980s, some of the leading Brexiteers are the ones who talk forever about red tape. I call that workers’ rights. When they say, “Trust us”, I reply, “What? Trust the same people who ran a disreputable campaign?” They promised £350 million a week for the National Health Service, when they knew damn well that there was no possibility of delivering it.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-10-12/debates/F327EC64-3777-4D40-A98D-BEC2E11763A2/ParliamentaryScrutinyOfLeavingTheEU#contribution-E1247133-F0F9-46EF-9656-E59C13CC991C

1. In response to Parliamentary Question 49479 from Jack seeking assurances on     EU-derived protections for workers, a Government Minister responded:

“As a Government, we have been clear that we will do nothing to undermine workers’ rights. All law in this area at the time of exit will be brought under UK law as part of the Great Repeal Bill, ensuring continuity”

3.      In a speech during the referendum campaign, 17 May, Priti Patel, now International Development Secretary said:

“If we could just halve the burdens of the EU social and employment legislation we could deliver a £4.3 billion boost to our economy and 60,000 new jobs.”