Overview

This bill aims to protect workers' rights established by European Union (EU) legislation after the UK leaves the EU. It ensures that existing rights are maintained and that future changes to these rights require parliamentary approval.

Description

The Workers' Rights (Maintenance of EU Standards) Bill seeks to preserve workers' rights derived from EU law. Key aspects include:

• Definition of EU Worker Rights: The bill defines "EU Worker Rights" as rights, duties, remedies, and procedures stemming from specific EU directives listed in Schedule 1.
• Interpretation: Legal questions about these rights will be decided using principles and judgments from the Court of Justice of the European Union.
• Compatibility with Existing Legislation: Existing UK legislation must be interpreted compatibly with EU Worker Rights, where possible. However, this doesn't invalidate incompatible legislation.
• Directly Effective Rights: Rights directly effective in the UK at the time of leaving the EU remain enforceable.
• Implementing Legislation: Existing UK laws implementing EU directives (listed in Schedule 2) remain in effect. Changes require primary legislation, except for those making worker protections more favourable.
• Procedural Rules: Procedural rules for actions related to EU Worker Rights must remain at least as favourable as those for similar UK actions.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify government spending figures. However, enforcing and potentially updating legislation to maintain these worker rights may lead to increased costs associated with legal processes and government resources. The exact financial impact will likely depend on the number of legal challenges and the level of government intervention.

Groups Affected

This bill significantly impacts various groups:

• Workers: The bill protects the existing rights of workers across various employment sectors, including those related to equal treatment, health and safety, parental leave, working time, and redundancy.
• Employers: Employers will need to comply with the maintained EU-derived worker rights, potentially incurring costs associated with adjustments to policies and procedures.
• Courts and Tribunals: These bodies will interpret and apply the legislation, using EU law as a reference point for determining cases related to workers' rights.
• Legislators: The bill restricts amendments to related legislation requiring primary legislation thereby increasing the legislative burden.

Powered by nyModel