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TUC head to warn European politicians of threat to EU workers if Brexit allows undercutting
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady spoke to an audience at a Party of European Socialists (PES) conference on Brexit in London last Friday
“We must not allow Britain to become the cheap labour capital of Europe. That would be bad for workers in Britain. And it would be bad for our friends in France, Germany and elsewhere if they end up being undercut by us.
“The TUC’s top priorities are to safeguard jobs, rights, wages and investment.
“We want rights that are as good as, or preferably better than, the minimum standards set by the EU.
“The government has told us not to worry because they will protect workers’ rights. As trade unionists we like promises, but we prefer guarantees.
“Promising that existing rights will not be stripped away does not guarantee that British workers won’t fall behind our friends in the EU in the future.
“The Prime Minister was wrong to rule out keeping Britain in the single market. The ‘deal or no deal’ talk and threat to turn the UK into a giant offshore tax haven isn’t strong – it’s reckless.
“As we saw all too vividly from the leaked document that categorised industries like steel and telecoms as a low priority, it’s working people’s livelihoods being put at risk.
“Instead we need a new deal that delivers skilled jobs, on good wages, in the parts of Britain that need them most.”
Notes to Editors:
- All TUC press releases can be found at tuc.org.uk/media
- TUC Press Office on Twitter: @tucnews
Contacts:
Press Office T: 020 7467 1248 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Alex Rossiter T: 020 7467 1285 M: 07887 572130 E: arossiter@tuc.org.uk
Tim Nichols T: 020 7467 1388 M: 07808 761844 E: tnichols@tuc.org.uk
Michael Pidgeon T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: mpidgeon@tuc.org.uk
