Labour must end 'fire and rehire'

Unite delegate Heather Gilfillan spoke in support of a Unite amendment to a composite on ending the ‘hostile environment’ for workers.

Addressing Congress on Monday (September 9) she said, “Ending the legal offensive against workers is one of the most urgent tasks facing the new government. Our task – as a movement – is to make sure they do it.”

Heather noted that “since P&O introduced the weapon of ‘fire and rehire’ into the bosses’ arsenal, it has been used across industries and our nations”.

“As we meet here over 500 workers in Wrexham are preparing for strike action,” she added. “They have shown the bravery to stand together as their employer – Oscar Mayer – tries to use ‘fire and rehire’ to slash pay by over £3,000.

“This deplorable attack attempts to force these workers to surrender their paid breaks and other hard-earned conditions, under threat of being dismissed if they refuse to sign new contracts,” Heather continued.

She noted that while the trade union movement stands with workers at Oscar Mayer and other workplaces where they are under threat by fire and rehire, she said that “we will always fight with one hand tied behind our back so long as the government allows this practice to continue in any form”.

Heather went on to welcome the Labour government’s commitment to end ‘fire and rehire’ but she warned that “we must be forensic about the detail. Be in no doubt, bosses will use any loophole left available to them”.

“It cannot be acceptable that a company’s desire to restructure can warrant the imposition of fire and rehire,” Heather said, adding that Unite’s amendment calls for a cast-iron guarantee that the practice will be banned with no exemptions.

“And while they are at it – a total ban on zero-hour contracts. No exceptions,” she said.

Urging support for the amendment and the composite, Heather noted Unite’s continued support for the devolution of employment rights.

“Where devolved governments are setting the pace the UK government must follow,” she concluded.

By Hajera Blagg

Photo by Mark Thomas

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