Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps he is taking to ensure the maintenance of employment rights in the event that the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government has firmly committed to protecting workers’ rights, and to extending those rights when that is the right choice for the UK. The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will ensure that workers’ rights enjoyed under EU law will continue to be available in UK law after we have left the EU.
However, we do not need to be part of the EU to have strong protections for workers. The UK already goes beyond EU minimum standards in a number of employment areas, such as entitlement to annual leave, paid parental leave and provisions for flexible working. According to health and safety at work statistics, the UK is one of the safest places to work in the EU, based on its proportionate and risk-based approach to health and safety regulation.