Tag Archives: employment

  • Photo Courtesy Andrew Parsons/ i-Images via Flickr

    The Brexit threat to workers’ rights is real

    No-one should be fooled by the government’s claim that they will leave intact the workplace rights that we have agreed at European level and which are currently enshrined in EU legislation. The first clue about their true intentions is to be found in the fact that their promise to put all EU legislation into national […]

  • courtesy Christopher Combe Photography Yorkshire via Flickr

    Why a ‘hard’ Brexit is particularly bad for Yorkshire

    Despite what many Leave campaigners promised during the referendum campaign, Theresa May wants to take Britain out of not just the EU, but also the single European market, the customs union and the various European technical agencies. This approach is particularly dangerous for Yorkshire.

  • courtesy Betty Longbottom via geograph.org.uk

    Sports Direct

    Many observers have been rightly appalled by revelations about the treatment of staff in Sports Direct warehouses, following Mike Ashley’s controversial testimony before a committee of MPs yesterday. It was interesting that the story broke on the same day as Jeremy Corbyn launched Labour’s latest referendum campaign poster, highlighting the crucial role of the European […]

  • Construction workers

    Does migration trigger wage compression or unemployment?

    The economic case for Britain’s EU membership always seemed obvious, even before it had been confirmed with evidence from virtually every major economist, independent study and international body, plus data from the Bank of England, UK Statistics Authority, and HM Treasury. For a while, Vote Leave’s only available response was to throw mud at this […]

  • courtesy BASF

    Strong words from big employers

    Over the last few weeks, we’ve heard a series of forecasts from independent experts both at home and around the world about the potentially disastrous consequences of leaving the EU for British jobs and workers and our standard of living. But we don’t have to take their word for it. To get the view from […]

  • courtesy Ashokinder via Wikimedia Commons

    Steeling ourselves against China

    There are two main European angles to the ongoing debate over the future of the UK steel industry. Trade defence measures Europe acting jointly has the clout to put real pressure on the Chinese government over steel dumping — but our government opposed stepping up EU action. The EU has trade defence instruments to deal […]

  • Photo by Sebastian Zwez courtesy of Munich Security Conference

    Why the focus on migrants’ benefits?

    Difficulties in securing a deal on Cameron’s EU proposals, widely reported today, were predictable as soon as Cameron added the subject of EU migrants’ benefits to his list of demands. This issue didn’t feature in his original Bloomberg speech, where he first set out his intention to reform the European Union and hold a referendum. […]

  • courtesy Helen Cobain via Flickr

    Yorkshire MEP votes to tackle youth unemployment, end zero-hours exploitation

    Richard Corbett MEP voted today for EU action to increase the skills of young people, helping their prospects in finding a job. Proposals include improving the quality of career guidance at schools; forecasting skills needs in the labour market; and improving how education institutions and local employers work together. The report also calls for national […]

  • courtesy Grubb via Wikimedia Commons

    Labour MEPs demand EU ministers take action on steel crisis

    Labour MEPs have demanded urgent EU action on the steel crisis at an emergency meeting of ministers tonight. Labour MEPs, together with trade unionists from GMB and Unite, held a rally outside the European Commission ahead of the meeting, calling on business secretary Sajid Javid and fellow EU ministers to come up with measures to […]

  • Seeing sense on workers’ rights

    With several news outlets reporting this morning that Cameron is rethinking his plan to attack workers’ rights, Labour has made its position clear: It was never going to be a good idea to try to build support for the EU based on a bonfire of workers’ rights. Strong economies should have decent rights for people […]

  • courtesy Smith & Nephew

    Workplace visits

    Over the past couple of months, I’ve been visiting several major employers in Yorkshire & Humber, not least for discussions on how various EU policies and rules affect them. Reflecting on these experiences, two things strike me. The first is simply pride: I’m amazed by the diversity and international reach of the work that’s done […]

  • Image by Wikipedia user Zinneke licensed under Creative Commons

    Labour MEPs tell Juncker: Reform the EU and take action on zero-hours jobs

    Labour MEPs have called on European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to take action on posted workers, precarious employment and zero-hours contracts. Mr Juncker took questions from MEPs at a meeting of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group last night. Richard Corbett MEP, Labour’s Deputy Leader in the European Parliament, asked Mr Juncker: What are […]

  • by KTo288 via wikimedia commons

    A loophole on redundancy?

    An unwelcome opinion on redundancy law expressed today by an advocate of the European Court is not the end of the story, says Richard Corbett MEP. Common Europe-wide rules protect workers from unfair treatment in the event their employer intends to make them redundant. Among other rights, these rules guarantee the right to consultation about […]