People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll has called on the Executive parties to prioritise workers’ rights by passing the Trade Union Freedom Bill before the upcoming election. The Bill, which was introduced earlier this year is the first attempt to undo Margaret Thatcher’s anti-trade union laws which were undemocratically imposed from Westminster:
“The Stormont Executive must endeavour to pass the Trade Union Freedom Bill before the election period. When a snap election was a possibility, Executive Ministers like Michelle O’Neill urgently pushed for important legislation to be passed in time, but shamefully the Trade Union Freedom Bill was Excluded.
“The Trade Union Freedom Bill has the backing of the trade union movement and would dramatically overhaul the landscape for workers and trade unions by increasing their rights. With a snap election ruled out, there is more time for legislation to pass, and we are calling on all Executive MLAs to ensure trade union and workers’ rights are prioritised.
“Given the failure of the Executive to address issues like low pay, soaring cost of living and poor working conditions, there is an onus on Stormont to enable workers to fight back for better. Promises of workers’ rights in the New Decade New Approach have not been delivered and in-work poverty is on the rise. We cannot allow outdated anti-union legislation to stay on our books – we need urgent change to give workers and their families a fighting chance.”
ENDS
