Time we all curbed bad employers

May 19 2008 By Kevin Rowan for The Journal

THE TUC has recently published the first report of the Commission on Vulnerable Employment. The North East has one of the highest proportions of vulnerable workers, almost 100,000, or close to 10% of those in work in the region.

There are more people in work than at any time before in the region, which is bucking the trend in enjoying employment growth, but there are deep pockets of economic inactivity.

It is important to ensure we do not replace out-of-work poverty, with the ‘working poor.’ In certain low paid sectors such as health and social care and hospitality, where growth is predicted in the region, the evidence suggests a number of employers routinely break the law.

The commission found repeated evidence showing that vulnerable employment remains prevalent.

It is difficult to have a debate about workplace rights in the current climate, because as soon as the Government takes any steps to extend protection it is accused of being ‘anti-business’.

This is extremely unhelpful because it detracts from the importance of investigating why this intervention is considered necessary.

The commission has been in partnership with business to establish there is a problem, acknowledge it and recognise we need to work together to find an appropriate solution.

Workplace abuses by an unscrupulous minority tarnish reputable employers who treat their workers with dignity and respect.

Good employers have nothing to fear and much to gain from policies stopping them being undercut by bad employers who either break the law or exploit loopholes to avoid treating staff properly.

We need decent minimum standards, effectively enforced, in a way that targets bad employers without wasting time bothering the good.

The actions proposed by the commission will not harm the ability of business to compete in the global economy. The actions include: calling for a major employment rights awareness raising programme to provide people with the advice they need; better enforcement of existing rights; extending the laws on gangmasters; equal treatment for agency workers; better training to allow workers to progress into long-term work; and a crackdown on bogus self-employment, something associated with migrant labour.

Hardly revolutionary, but changes that would go a long way to improving the lot of some deeply impoverished workers.

Kevin Rowan is Regional Secretary of Northern TUC.