Under attack

Sajid Javid, Vince Cable’s replacement as business secretary, today (May 12) set out his plans for office in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme.

Javid, a former banker appointed by David Cameron, will be the key link between government and business.

Here UNITElive looks at his plans and what is already facing attack under the Tories just five days in to their second term.

The right to strike

The right to strike is a fundamental human right. It gives workers dignity in employment. It provides the right to protest without fearing for your job, your home and your family.

But Sajid Javid says there are going to be significant changes in strike law. Thresholds for turnout will have to be 50 per cent and over and essential public services must vote by at least 40 per cent in favour of strike action.

Currently, a strike is valid if backed by a majority of those balloted.

The government will also lift restrictions on the use of agency staff to replace striking workers. Plans to curb the union’s ability to strike will be in The Queen’s speech on May 27.

EU referendum

Javid wants a straight in/out referendum before 2017. A parliamentary bill to approve the referendum will be included in the Queen’s Speech in just 15 days’ time.

The bill will be formally tabled in the House of Commons shortly afterwards to ensure that the prime minister has the option of holding the referendum next year to avoid it clashing with French and German elections.

Some companies say they may benefit from reduced costs if they were freed from EU regulations, but Unite argues the economy could suffer from reduced foreign investment and demand for exports if the UK is seen as isolated from the rest of the continent.

Unite understands some leading manufacturers could well leave the UK if an EU exit is voted for.

Deregulation

The deregulation act 2015 is a bill aimed at removing restrictions from legislation for businesses.

Javid has said he is going to look at ‘what more deregulation we can have’. He also said ‘we are clearly on the side of business’. So far the Tories have been very vague about what lurks behind this deregulation.

But should workers be worried? Will Sajid be focused on making things better for businesses but at the cost of workers?

Regulation is necessary to hold businesses accountable for their employees and to protect workers’ rights.

Previously the so-called ‘red tape challenge’ attacked health and safety with around 98 per cent of health and safety regulations being scrapped or ‘improved’.

One of the reforms included allowing businesses to sell second hand articles containing potentially fatal asbestos. Agriculture, equalities and employment related law were just a few of the reforms made that put business before employees.

By January 2014 the Tories had already abolished or simplified 800 regulations.

Youth unemployment and change in terms for benefits

Every young person between 18 and 21 will have their benefits changed from jobseekers to ‘youth benefits’.

“[Young people] will have to take up apprenticeships and community work if they want to keep receiving [benefits],” said Javid.

But this may not be as straight forward as it sounds and the quality of the apprenticeship is in question. Unite says the emphasis must be on finding decent jobs with career progression that builds on experience. It must take into account caring responsibilities, travel time and cost and must be secure.

Unite believe that any ‘job guarantee’ must be rooted in this ethical approach. Unite does not support ‘welfare reform’ or policies flagged as ‘job guarantees’ that seek to stigmatise social security and drive people to take unsuitable jobs and low paid work.

Anthony Curly, Unite young members coordinator said, “Forcing people to work for free on pain of losing benefits is simply providing free labour for profitable firms that should be paying workers proper wages.

“It doesn’t matter what you call the scheme, the principle of work conscription needs to end and has no place in our social security system.”

Ahead of the elections David Cameron said about young people, “From day one they must realise that welfare is not a one-way street. Yes, we will help them, but there is no more something for nothing.”

BBC licensing fee

The BBC has a huge cultural, economic and democratic contribution to the UK. Cameron’s new culture secretary John Whittingdale described the license fee as ‘worse than the poll tax’.

The BBC’s current 10 year charter is due to expire next year at the same time as the freeze in the license fee. He also said that licence fee evasion should be decriminalised and his select committee called for the abolition of the BBC Trust in February.

Mr Whittingdale, former private secretary to Margaret Thatcher, has a strongly right-wing record on parliamentary votes.

According to the site They Work for You, he has voted very strongly against equal gay rights, strongly against the fox hunting ban, very strongly against equal marriage and moderately against laws to promote equality and human rights.

Sajid Javid may seem like a new breed of Tory with his bus driver dad and his state school education, but the plans he has set out just five days in to office show a keen and sinister strategy to dissect the terms and conditions and the foundations that protect working Britain.