Employment Rights Bill (Second sitting)

Jon Pearce Excerpts

Committee stage
Tuesday 26th November 2024 Public Bill Committees

[Alison Hume (Scarborough and Whitby) (Lab)]

I refer to my declaration of interests and my membership of Unison and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain.

[Jon Pearce (High Peak) (Lab)]

I refer to my declaration in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I am a member of the GMB.

[Laurence Turner (Birmingham Northfield) (Lab)]

I again refer to my declaration in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and my membership of the GMB and Unite trade unions.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Chair]

In the last minute, I call Jon Pearce.

[Jon Pearce]

Q You are probably the second or third witness who has raised the idea that the removal of the “one establishment” reference will require consultation with people who are not at risk of redundancy. I am interested in that interpretation, because you would need to consult only with affected employees and their representatives, so it would be only people who are at risk of redundancy or are to be made redundant. Could you clarify your understanding of that?

Alasdair Reisner: I should first clarify that I am not an expert in redundancy. However, based on the conversations we have had, you have to look at how individual employers would respond to the new environment. I do not think this would ever be the case, but it is almost as though people feel that the only way out of this will be to have a permanent rolling redundancy consultation within their business to try to address the fact that there are people on geographical sites who are coming off and going on all the time. Under a new approach, there is no other easy route that would help to address that issue.

[The Chair]

On behalf of the Committee, let me say thank you very much for your evidence. You are definitely not a tail-end Charlie.

Alasdair Reisner: Thank you very much.