08 March 2010
Churches put pressure on the Government to enforce workers' rights
Representatives from the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of
Great Britain and the United Reformed Church will meet with
Government officials at a symposium on workers' rights this
Friday.
Church policy advisers and delegates from the Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills will discuss how rights in the work
place could be enforced for the 3.5 million people in Britain who
are not protected by employment laws. The symposium at Congress
House in London follows discussions between the Revd David Gamble,
President of the Methodist Conference, with Trade Union leaders at
the TUC Conference in September and correspondence between the
three churches and the Department of Business, Innovation and
Skills.
David Gamble, President of the Methodist Church in Britain, said:
"Agency staff and people on informal contracts are the most
vulnerable and lowest paid workers in our country. They are mostly
women, mostly immigrants working in domestic or farm labouring jobs
and have absolutely no rights that are enforceable. They can be
sacked at a moment's notice for no reason. We have asked the
Government to change the regulations so that these people have
rights and that these rights are enforced.
"Our work is part of what it means to be human, part of our
spirituality. When we work we give more than just our labour; we
give of ourselves. Human beings are not machines to be disposed of
after ten minutes; a worker deserves fairness and dignity."
Representatives from The Muslim Council of Great Britain, Oxfam and
Citizens Advice Bureau have also been invited to attend the
symposium.
The Revd John Marsh, Moderator of the General Assembly of the
United Reformed Church, said: "The injustices and insecurities
arising from jobs unprotected by employment legislation affect a
huge number of people. The growing gap between the highest paid 10
per cent and the lowest paid 10 per cent - and its underlying
implication about the relative worth of persons - is an unpalatable
part of modern life. We are in full support of any legislation that
seeks to protect workers and moves towards equality in the
workplace and society."
The Revd Jonathan Edwards, General Secretary of the Baptist Union
of Great Britain, stated: "An imbalance in power in the
worker-employer relationship can quickly lead to mistreatment,
exploitation and poverty. Vulnerable workers often have little
access to advice and don't know what rights they do have. These
issues urgently need to be addressed and tighter regulation
introduced in those sectors where the risks are greatest."