Workers’ Rights

Lord Randall of Uxbridge Excerpts
Tuesday 26th January 2021

(3 years, 3 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Callanan Portrait Lord Callanan (Con)
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I am sure the noble Lord is well aware that I cannot speculate on tax changes. They are a matter for the Chancellor. I would get myself into serious bother if I tried to pre-empt what he might decide to do.

Lord Randall of Uxbridge Portrait Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Con) [V]
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My Lords, does my noble friend agree that, in many areas, the United Kingdom goes further than the European Union on workers’ protections?

Lord Callanan Portrait Lord Callanan (Con)
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Indeed, my noble friend is correct. Our equalities legislation and our maternity and paternity entitlements are already much better than minimum EU standards. In the UK you get over five weeks’ annual leave minimum; the EU requires only four weeks. I do not understand the Opposition’s obsession with wanting to downgrade our standards to those of the EU.