EU referendum: Workers’ rights will be watered down if Britain leaves EU, claims TUC

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Workers’ rights will be watered down if Briton’s vote to leave the European Union, a new legal report published by the Trade Union Congress has claimed.

The analysis by the TUC – which represents 52 unions and 5.8 million workers – claims that complete withdrawal from the single market could pave the way for a government “to make sweeping changes to employment law” – including reducing holiday pay and discrimination protections for pregnant workers.

Drawing on an analysis by Michael Ford QC, they claim that even if the UK remained in the single market, but outside the EU, rights such as discrimination compensations and protections for agency workers would be at risk.

In Mr Ford’s view, Brexit would mean “all the social rights in employment currently required by EU law would be potentially vulnerable”.

Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of TUC, said: “A lot of the debate has focused on how many people might lose their jobs because of Brexit. But even people whose jobs are not at risk would still face the threat of losing hard-won rights at work.”

She added: “GQ Employment have optimistically assumed that the UK would negotiate a similar Brexit deal to Norway. But even on this basis, they think that some important employment rights will still be at risk.

“Nobody knows for certain how bad it could get. But all the employment law experts agree that it will be worse for workers’ rights.”

It comes as Remain campaigners claimed the UK economy could face a £250 billion hit in lost trade if the country votes to leave the EU. The analysis, by Britain Stronger in Europe, claims that trade to EU would be £224 billion lower if there was no deal in place after Brexit.

There would also be a £9 billion fall in trade with the wider European Economic Area and £14 billion in lost trade with countries which have deals with the EU.

Former chancellor Lord Alistair Darling said the analysis showed that leaving “would put jobs, low prices and financial security at risk”

The figures suggest what might happen if the UK is outside the single market and relies on World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules - although Brexit campaigners insist they would be able to strike a preferential deal with the EU after a Leave vote.

Lord Darling added: "Those wanting to leave the EU want to pull Britain out of the single market, which would mean introducing tariffs and barriers to our trade and putting billions of vital trade at risk.

"The choice is between free trade within the EU's single market of 500 million consumers, or spending years negotiating new trade deals only to leave us in a weaker position than we enjoy today.

"Leaving the single market would be catastrophic for our businesses and our families who would be paying more and suffering from a weaker economy.

"There is no trading arrangement outside the EU which gives us the free trade we rely on today. Leaving would put jobs, low prices and financial security at risk."

Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott questioned the figures used by the Britain Stronger in Europe (BSE) campaign and repeated his claim that the UK would "stop sending Brussels" £350 million a week - a sum which does not take into account Britain's rebate.

He said: "BSE can't even be consistent or honest in their campaign to do down the British economy.

"Their underlying belief appears to be that Britain - the world's fifth largest economy and a nation with a great history of trading across the globe - would be an economic backwater if it wasn't for Brussels taking control of our trade deals. That's absurd.

"After we vote Leave we will take back control of the powers we've surrendered to EU bureaucrats and stop sending Brussels £350 million a week. That would boost our economy and allow us to spend our money on our priorities."

Additional reporting by Press Association