TUC: Working people will judge May’s Brexit strategy on whether it protects jobs and rights at work

16 Jan 2017 11:54 AM

Speaking today (Monday) ahead of the Prime Minister’s speech on Tuesday on her plan for Brexit, the TUC has called on the Prime Minister to pursue a strategy that protects the interests of Britain’s working people.

The TUC says the Prime Minister should adopt the following guiding principles for Brexit negotiations:

• Promote good jobs – by making sure the EU stays Britain’s largest trading partner, avoiding tariffs and ‘rule of origin’ bureaucracy, and allowing British businesses unhampered trade in services.
• Protect workers’ rights – by enforcing the highest standards in Europe for employment rights as well as consumer and environmental protections.
• Manage migration better – by taking actions to improve opportunities for better jobs closer to home, ease pressures on communities with higher migration, and crack down on bad employers who undercut local workers by exploiting migrants.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Working people want to know how the Prime Minister will win a good Brexit deal for them. Will it protect and promote good jobs? Will it guarantee their rights at work? And will it protect businesses from a ‘made in Britain’ tax?

“The best way to protect jobs, workers’ rights, and British businesses that trade in Europe is to stay a member of the single market.

“The Prime Minister also need a plan to manage migration better for Britain. Local communities need guarantees of decent jobs and apprenticeships close to home, especially in towns and communities hit hard by previous recessions. There must be a crack-down on bad employers who use migrants to undercut wages. And the government should increase financial support to communities most affected by migration to ease pressure on their housing, schools, and health services.”

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
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
Alex Rossiter  T: 020 7467 1285  M: 07887 572130  E: arossiter@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson (Mon to Thurs) T: 020 7467 1337  M: 07900 910624  E: egibson@tuc.org.uk