Unite

Unite applauds Labour MPs for defeating Jesse Norman’s attack on workers’ representatives

Unite applauds Labour MPs for defeating Jesse Norman’s attack on workers’ representatives

Labour MPs have roundly defeated the Tory MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, Jesse Norman's ten minute rule bill on trade union facility time today (January 11).

Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey said:

"Labour MPs are to be applauded for voting down this spurious bill which was based on a blind loathing of organised labour rather than common sense.

"Jesse Norman's bill was a smokescreen and the Tories should be using parliamentary time to fix the economy rather than wasting valuable time targeting dedicated men and women who spend their days preventing accidents, avoiding tribunals and supporting their colleagues."

According to a joint report from the Department for Business, the CBI and the TUC, entitled Reps in Action the work of union representatives actually saves employers around £1.1 billion annually by helping to resolve disputes and preventing illness and injury at work – ten times more that the £113 million that Norman claims union representatives cost the taxpayer.