Shame on Cable for threatening assault on workers' basic rights
6 June 2011
Responding to the threats from Vince Cable, business secretary,
to prevent workers from taking lawful industrial action to defend
their jobs, Len McCluskey, Unite general secretary said: "Vince
Cable, as a Liberal, ought to be ashamed of the company he has been
keeping. How can a professed liberal seek to crack down on
human rights?
"Today's workers are the sons, daughters and grandchildren of the
people who fought for freedom in Europe. Yet here we are
today with the obscenity of a British government threatening to
deny people the fundamental right to withdraw their labour.
"It is no coincidence that the government is engineering this fight
now. All eyes have been on our comatose economy and the
government's colossal failure to address this.
"Talking tough about cracking down on working people is a circus
engineered by a government that is clueless about the real problems
facing this country, which is how do we breathe life back into our
shops, businesses and high streets and how do we get the millions
on the dole back to work."
Unite has already condemned government threats to prevent workers
from accessing industrial tribunals, and has been campaigning for
improved protections for UK workers who are the easiest and
cheapest to sack in the EU.
ENDS
