Unite exposes Tory ploy to weaken workers' rights

The government is planning to cut the consultation period for mass redundancies from 90 to 45 days, according to Unite.

And the union warned that ministers held discussions on the plans behind closed doors yesterday, rather than having a full vote in the Commons.

Currently, employers planning to make 100 or more redundancies must consult with employee representatives at least 90 days before any dismissals to take effect.

This helps to minimise the impact and seek possible alternatives to redundancies.

Unite said that current collective redundancies legislation helps to save jobs, saves money for employers, secures a better deal for workers, safeguards vital skills and develops stronger business models.

There is no evidence that cutting the consultation period will help employers, the union added.

Unite also highlighted how extending the consultation period helped to stop Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) carry out its proposal to make 1,000 staff redundant in the face of serious financial difficulties in 2009.

Both sides were able to find £70 million of savings without making any redundancies.

Unite said JLR has now propelled itself out of economic difficulties into a massive success story for British manufacturing, creating thousands of skilled jobs.

But the union fears that employers less committed to Britain will exploit the shortened 45-day period to fast-track mass sackings.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "At a time when Britain's economy has flatlined and jobs are in short supply, the Tory-led government is trying to sneak through legislation to make it easier to sack workers.

"The government is giving bad bosses the green light to sack workers, then ask questions later.

"It is telling companies that they do not have to commit to Britain's workers."

He added: "Britain already has the weakest employment laws in Europe.

"This is Tory ideological dogma at its worst and the Liberal Democrats are sitting on their hands while they let the Tories go to work on our rights with a sledgehammer."

A government source was unable to comment at the time of going to press.