Asked by: Lord Hendy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Callanan on 26 January (HL Deb, cols 1509–13), who is being consulted as part of their review of workers' rights; whether the Trades Union Congress and trade unions have been excluded from such consultations, and if so, why; and how that review relates to the Employment Bill referred to in the Queen's Speech.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There is no Government plan to reduce workers’ rights.
In our manifesto, the Government promised to maintain existing levels of protections for workers provided by our laws and regulations as we left the EU. In any case, our high standards were never dependent on our membership of the EU. The UK has one of the best employment rights records in the world and it is well known that in many areas the UK goes further than the EU on worker protections.
We have also committed to enhancing workers’ rights now that we have left the EU. We have already set out plans to bring forward legislation which will make workplaces fairer, provide better support for working families and new protections for those in low-paid work.
Our manifesto contains commitments to create a new, single enforcement body for labour market abuses, to give greater protections for workers, as well as plans to encourage greater flexible working.
Asked by: Lord Hendy (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Callanan on 14 May (HL Deb, cols 781–2), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what plans they have to review their guidance Working Safely during COVID-19, published on 11 May, to ensure that it is compatible with the statutory duty to provide personal protection equipment to any employee who may be at risk. [T]
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government continues to work with stakeholders on developing sensible guidance for businesses that will give UK workers the utmost confidence on their return to work. We will now focus on sectors that are not currently open to help them plan for when they can open. The Government is keen to stay in close contact with other business sectors so we have the right information ahead of any further guidance publications.
We will keep the guidance under review and will consider updating it as circumstances change. We are being led by the science and we will make changes to the guidance when they are needed as determined by the science and as we learn best practices from businesses. We welcome views on the guidance. If there are specific points you would want to make about safer working, contact details can be found on the gov.uk/workingsafely?webpages.
The guidance outlines where an employer’s risk assessment identifies that certain steps need to be taken to reduce the risk of COVID-19, such as ensuring social distancing is maintained or providing additional handwashing facilities, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that these steps are taken. This is already an existing obligation for employers, which this guidance does not change. If an employer’s risk assessment does show that PPE is required, employers must provide this PPE free of charge to workers who need it, and any PPE must fit properly.