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Brown Vows ‘No Return’ On Labour Law Reforms Tuesday, July 08, 2008 By George Parker on the prime minister’s aircraft Published: July 7 2008 03:23 | Last updated: July 7 2008 03:23 Gordon Brown on Sunday vowed he would not turn back the clock on Britain’s employment laws, insisting he would resist union pressure to make strike action easier. Mr Brown, speaking en route to the G8 summit in Japan, said there would be “no return to the 1970s, 80s, or even 90s when it comes to union rights”. Unions, which now provide about 90 per cent of Labour’s funding, are flexing their muscles ahead of talks this month to frame the party’s policies. Mr Brown, talking to reporters, said: “The countries that prosper in future will be those that combine fairness with flexibility, to ensure full employment. There can be no question of any reintroduction of secondary picketing rights.” The Financial Times revealed last week that unions are to demand changes in the law to make it easier to go on strike when they meet the Labour high command at the national policy forum in Warwick. They claim rules on balloting for strikes are full of “legalese” – making them vulnerable to legal challenges – and should be rewritten. They also want to be allowed to ballot members by phone and e-mail. Derek Simpson, joint head of Unite, the largest union, last month called for secondary industrial action to be made legal again. The unions will push Labour for these internal changes alongside a package of wider social reform to benefit millions of workers. Their wish list will range from free meals at primary schools to a compulsory private pension scheme, an increase in the National Insurance ceiling and higher redundancy payments. Mr Brown hopes unions will restrict their demands at “Warwick 2” to more consensual topics such as fighting poverty. He is coming under increasing pressure to provide some red meat for Labour’s core voters, who have deserted the party or stayed at home in recent elections. That is likely to intensify if Labour loses the by-election on July 24 in Glasgow East, one of Labour’s safest seats but targeted by the Scottish National party. The party’s policy debate will begin the next day in what could be a fevered political atmosphere. Mr Brown insists that “a by-election is a by-election” – a passing phenomenon and an opportunity for a protest vote. But the loss of a seat such as Glasgow East would send shudders through the parliamentary party and could spark renewed speculation about Mr Brown’s leadership. Labour MPs in safe seats could add their voices to union calls for policies aimed at shoring up the party’s bedrock vote to avoid a meltdown at the next general election which could put many in danger. Copyright <http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/copyright> The Financial Times Limited 2008 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fac8df3e-4bad-11dd-a490-000077b07658.html |
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