Local MP Katy Clark today condemned the Scottish National Party for failing to attend crucial votes on trade union rights when the Employment Bill received its third reading in Parliament. The Bill looks to reform employment law strengthen the minimum wage and employment agency standards and give trade unions better rights to determine their own membership.
Ms. Clark however felt that the Bill could be made stronger still. Whilst some of the SNP MPs were at the House of Commons, they failed to attend or support keys votes on employment and trade union rights. Ms. Clark along with 44 Labour colleagues voted in favour of trade union amendments to strengthen the rights of trade union members. The new law would have placed a legal obligation on employers to provide Unions with information legally required for a ballot over industrial action.
Speaking on the subject the MP for North Ayrshire and Arran said “Given the current financial crisis the Government needs to act to ensure that workers are not exploited as employers look to cut costs and make savings. At the moment workers in Britain have the worst trade union rights in Western Europe. Our legal trade union rights now are less than they were 100 years ago. Sometimes, the only way workers are able to protect their pay and prevent the deterioration of working conditions is through industrial action via a trade union however current employment law often prevents trade unions from taking the action which is needed to properly protect their members. "
As well as failing to attend the vote, SNP Members also failed to sign amendments which would have prevented workers from being dismissed for taking legal strike action, prevented employers from using temporary workers to replace striking workers and strengthened the minimum wage so it included all ferry workers and those working in the fishing industry all of which were supported by Ms. Clark.
“The proposed changes to the Employment Bill would have benefited workers across Scotland. The SNP try to posturise as a progressive alternative to the Labour Party but failing to support trade union rights and by choosing to extend the Scotrail railways franchise and dropping plans to regulate bus services at the expense of passengers, time after time they have shown themselves to be on the side of money and big business rather than that of ordinary Scots. ”