07 April 2023 , 23:01
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Stability in Ireland risks being threatened if the Tory Government rips up vital workers' rights, unions warn today.
In a statement ahead of the 25-year anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the Trades Union Congress urge Rishi Sunak to ditch a bonfire of EU regulations.
Joined by a body representing trade unions in Northern Ireland, they say the UK Government is "risking hard-won achievements" through "reckless" legislation.
Thousands of EU laws, including those on workers' rights, were effectively copied and pasted onto the UK's statue book after Brexit in order to ease the transition.
But the Government's Retained EU Law Bill - currently going through the Lords - aims to repeal, amend or replace those still in force by the end of 2023.
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The TUC and NIC-ICTU (Northern Ireland Committee in the Irish Congress of Trade Union) say the legislation "could take a wrecking ball to vital workers' rights like holiday pay, rest breaks and equal pay for women and men".
They add: "If these essential rights in Northern Ireland are ripped up, in a direct breach of the Government's level playing field commitments, it could prompt a trade war with the EU.
"This is a threat to stability on the island of Ireland".
"British ministers must honour the Good Friday Agreement and the EU-UK deal.
General Secretary of the TUC Paul Nowak urged the Government to scrap the Bill, saying ministers "do not have a mandate to slash and burn people's rights at work".
He added: "This reckless Bill puts at risk vital workplace protections – like holiday pay, safe working hours and protection from discrimination."
“Not only is that bad for workers across Britain – it also threatens stability on the island of Ireland.
“If essential rights are torn up in Northern Ireland while stronger rights remain across the border, the British government will be in direct breach of its level playing field commitments."
A UK Government spokesperson said: "We’ve been very clear that any reforms will not come at the expense of the UK’s strong record on workers’ rights, having raised domestic standards over recent years to make them some of the highest in the world.
“The Retained EU Law Bill will not compromise the Good Friday Agreement, while still allowing us to seize the regulatory reform opportunities offered by Brexit.”
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