| Author (Corporate) | Trades Union Congress |
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| Publisher | TUC |
| Series Title | Press Release |
| Series Details | 24.05.16 |
| Publication Date | 24/05/2016 |
| Content Type | Report |
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Brexit risks 'turning the clock black decades' on women’s rights, according to a new report published by the TUC on the 24 May 2016. The report says the European Union has been instrumental in empowering working women and enabling them to challenge unequal pay and inequality at work. Women workers’ rights and the risks of Brexit highlights the huge gains women have made in the workplace since Britain joined the EU. These include: + Equal pay for work of equal value – Amendments to the Equal Pay Act required by EU law have allowed hundreds of thousands of low-paid women to win pay claims against employers who undervalued their work. + Paid holidays for part-time women workers – The introduction of the Working Time Directive in 1998 resulted in more than 1.5 million part-time women workers gaining the right to paid holidays for the first time. + Pregnancy discrimination – EU law required the UK government to make protection from dismissal because of pregnancy a day one right. Without this right women would have to wait 2 years before pursuing a claim of unfair dismissal. The report came just weeks after leading employment lawyer Michael Ford QC warned that Brexit would mean 'all the social rights in employment currently required by EU law would be potentially vulnerable'. Mr Ford said: 'It is difficult to overstate the significance of EU law in protecting against sex discrimination' The TUC says that leaving the EU would allow a government with a deregulatory agenda to make much more sweeping changes to employment law, such as reducing paid holidays, parental leave entitlements, and discrimination protections for pregnant workers. |
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| Source Link | https://www.tuc.org.uk/equality-issues/gender-equality/equal-pay/pregnancy-discrimination/brexit-risks-%E2%80%9Cturning-clock-back |
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| Subject Categories | Employment and Social Affairs |
| Countries / Regions | United Kingdom |
