Like the noble Baroness, I welcome the regulations. As somebody who has sat through the debates on working time and related matters since I first took this opposition job in 1997, I must comment on the remarkable change in the atmosphere of these debates. It is to the credit of the Government that they have changed the culture, with an acceptance by all three political parties that these changes and the protections given to workers are essential.
Reading the Committee deliberations in another place—which, as we all know, tends to be much more confrontational than this House—I thought that the way that all three political parties, particularly the Conservative Party, have now completely changed their attitude to these issues was quite remarkable. That is welcome for the good of the country, and the Government need to be congratulated on sticking to their guns in this area.
The regulations, which provide for four weeks holiday, amend the 1998 regulations. When they were brought in, no one assumed that employers would take the view that bank holidays should be included in the holiday entitlement, particularly for low-paid workers. I have seen an estimate that roughly 6 million workers—particularly the lower paid—suffer having bank holidays deducted from their statutory requirement for holiday. For that reason alone the regulations are welcome. By comparison with most of our competitors, we do not have as many bank holidays: we have eight days, whereas many of our competitor countries have 14 or 15. Indeed, the United States of America will have a major holiday tomorrow. So that provision is welcome.
I also welcome the fact that it will be made more difficult for employers to force employees to take payment in lieu of holiday, which is another reform in the regulations on which the Government should be congratulated. I very much support the regulations.
Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2007
Proceeding contribution from
Lord Razzall
(Liberal Democrat)
in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 3 July 2007.
It occurred during Debates on delegated legislation on Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2007.
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2006-07Chamber / Committee
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