Today, a vote will take place in Parliament on a Private Members Bill from Barry Gardiner MP to outlaw fire-and-rehire.
Roy Rickhuss CBE, General Secretary of Community, says:
“Until fire-and-rehire is outlawed, nobody is safe from it. Until it is no longer possible for companies to do this, all workers live with the knowledge that they could lose part of their income or face unemployment. Just like our members, the workers at Clarks, now face.
The Clarks workforce have been left with no other choice but to vote to take industrial action and go on strike. They are striking to protect their livelihoods, but they shouldn’t have to. Employers shouldn’t be able to cut their loyal workforce’s terms and conditions and bully them into accepting the changes or risk losing their jobs.
The government must act now, it must ban fire-and-rehire and end this practice for good.”
Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, says:
“The Prime Minister has himself described fire and rehire as unacceptable so I urge him to stand by his own words, stop selling out working people and join Labour MPs today to outlaw this despicable practice.
Fire and rehire is an appalling tactic to get around the law and cheat working people out of the pay and conditions that they have earned through their hard work.
Whether it is supporting fire and rehire, hiking their taxes or cutting their Universal Credit Conservative Ministers are making working people pay the price for the government’s failures.”
To support the workers at Clarks facing fire-and-rehire, click here.
If you are a member of Community and need help or advice, please contact us at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.
© Community Trade Union 2024