The following has been supplied by the TUC:
Government plans to scrap protection from unfair dismissal are a charter for nasty bosses, the TUC has indicated. Responding to this week's government call for evidence, which proposes that unfair dismissal laws could be replaced by 'no fault compensated dismissal', TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Scrapping protection against unfair dismissal, even for people who have given years of loyal service, will do absolutely nothing to boost the economy.' He added: 'Losing your job is one of the worst things that can happen to anyone, especially when unemployment is so high. Employees should only be dismissed for fair reasons, as set out in current laws. The clue is in the name - unfair dismissal.' Job insecurity has been linked to higher rates of accidents at work and of work-related suicides, sickness and ill-health. It has also been shown to drive down productivity. TUC's Brendan Barber said: 'Employers already have powers to make fair dismissals for misconduct or poor performance. Giving bosses the right to act unfairly may go down well on the backbenches, but it will horrify employees. But while this proposal does nothing for growth, it does show the kind of economy those close to the prime minister want to create - one in which nasty bosses are given full license to undermine those trying to maintain decent standards.' The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) also indicated the move to end unfair dismissal would be counterproductive. CIPD's Mike Emmott commented: 'There is no economic case to be made for the watering down of employment rights for businesses of any size. Businesses have far more to lose in lost productivity from a demotivated and disengaged workforce than they stand to gain from the ability to hire and fire at will.' The recent blacklisting scandal has already illustrated that some employers are willing to target employees for dismissal if they raise health and safety concerns.
