Unions have unanimously condemned measures in the Coalition government’s new legislative programme, delivered in the ceremonial Queen’s Speech to MPs and the House of Lords.
Downing Street says the speech spelled out a “streamlined” programme for government, but unions say there is nothing in the 19 draft bills designed to tackle the effects of the recession on the majority of people.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Three years on from the last general election, when ordinary working people are facing the biggest squeeze on their living standards in a generation, the government should really have used today to call time on its failed austerity experiment and change course.
“What we really needed to hear today were bold plans for a stimulus package to boost our growth, create decent jobs for those out of work and investment in our creaking infrastructure, and a jobs guarantee to offer hope to the many for whom work is still but a distant dream.“
Critics accuse ministers of being more concerned with scapegoating migrant workers in order to appease UKIP and the right of the Conservative Party, than with boosting economic growth.
Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey said: “This was an empty Queen’s Speech. There is nothing here to support the economy, create jobs or to boost housing. It was short, but definitely not sweet.
“David Cameron’s true intentions will be revealed in the Comprehensive Spending Review in June which is likely to continue this government’s austerity addiction.
“With the coalition entering its fourth year, we can now see what its legacy will be – a failing economy, the ruination of rights at work and a nation encouraged to scapegoat the vulnerable for the failings of the political and business elite.”
The Chancellor’s spending review covers spending from April 2015 onwards.
George Osborne’s October 2010 review included more than £80bn worth of public spending cuts.
UNISON general secretary, Dave Prentis, said: “There is little comfort in this programme for the young, the unemployed, the working poor, the sick, the vulnerable or the millions who have seen their living standards fall drastically since this coalition government came to power.
“It’s a typical Tory tactic to distract attention from the real problems we face by fostering a ‘blame immigrants’ culture, instead of tackling the huge divide between the rich and the poor.
“This government should face facts and accept that its policies are not working for the majority of people. What we need is a programme that will boost growth and create jobs not one that boosts insecurity and fear and creates division.”
The CWU has applauded the Bolsover MP, Dennis Skinner for highlighting the threat to universal postal services.
It has also welcomed “a giant step forward” over protecting postal workers from attacks by dogs.
Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary, said: “Dennis is right, this government wants to privatise the Queen’s head. Royal Mail and the Queen’s head are not for sale.
“Today is the culmination of six years of hard campaign work to improve dangerous dogs laws to better protect victims of attacks and promote more responsible dog ownership.
“Westminster has finally followed the lead of Scotland and Northern Ireland in addressing the failings of the Dangerous Dogs Act.”
The Coalition’s plans for education has also come under fire from teachers’ leaders.
NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: “The government proposals on reforms to the National Curriculum, examinations and the deregulation of teachers’ pay are ill thought out and plain wrong.
“They will certainly not ensure a world class education system.
”[Education Secretary] Michael Gove now needs to stop and reflect on its plans for curriculum and examination reform.
“Plans to deregulate teachers’ pay will create unnecessary work for individual schools and head teachers.
“This is a chaotic approach to teachers’ pay. It will be an inefficient, bureaucratic mess and will lead to unfairness, divisiveness and arbitrary decisions.
“Michael Gove does not have the monopoly of wisdom on either the curriculum or teachers’ pay. He must listen to the profession”.
Unions have also warned of an increase in workplace accidents if measures contained in the so-called “deregulation bill” go ahead.
Ministers are proposing removing the protection of health and safety laws from many self-employed workers. However, official statistics show self-employed workers are more than twice as likely as staff members to be killed at work.
General secretary of the Scottish TUC Grahame Smith said: “Bereft of a single new idea to tackle the economy, the Coalition has turned to scapegoating and fostering insecurity.
“Once again we are seeing health and safety being attacked through the government’s plans to exempt many self-employed workers from health and safety legislation and employers having the right to carry out protected conversations, the evidence of which cannot be used in employment tribunals.
“The powers of Employment Tribunals to make wider recommendations in discrimination is another attack, not only on our tribunal system, but will have a massive impact on equality in the workplace, already reeling from the swingeing cuts the government has inflicted on the Equality and Human Rights Commission.”
The Coalition’s proposals also include measures to increase the state retirement age to 67, amendments to health and safety legislation and cuts to compensation for victims of asbestos-related diseases.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “This mangled set of measures contains further attacks on workplace health and safety and workers protection through the employment tribunals.
“Once again, this rotten Government has loaded the dice in favour of bad bosses and against workers who all already taking the full force of austerity smack in the face.
“The truth is that this remains a government of the rich, by the rich, for the rich and while young people are denied jobs and apprenticeships the gap between the wealthy and the poor continues to widen and this Queen’s Speech fails to lift a finger to tackle that growing inequality.”
General secretary of PCS Mark Serwotka said: “With its policies causing untold damage to our economy and our communities it is shameful of the government to try to stoke up even more fear and suspicion of migrants.
“This is not so much ‘dog whistle’ politics, more a shrill and desperate cry to satisfy the extremes of the Tory party.
“Instead of scapegoating migrants, and forcing people to work longer before being entitled to a state pension, the government should invest to create jobs and opportunities, and target the tax dodgers who deprive our economy of tens of billions of pounds a year.”
As part of her speech, the Queen said: “Legislation will be introduced to ensure sufferers of a certain absestos-related cancer receive payments where no liable employer or insurer can be traced.”
UCATT has accused the government as being “in the pockets of the insurance industry”, saying the draft bill waters down provisions which would ensure that all victims of asbestos-related fatal conditions who could not trace their employers insurer would still receive compensation.
If the bill is passed, it would provide compensation only for victims of mesothelioma.
Steve Murphy, UCATT general secretary, said: “Deaths from asbestos are entirely preventable. For decades governments and employers knew the risks but chose to do nothing.
“It is disgraceful that even now they are trying wherever possible to deny workers compensation.”
Officials say the Association of British Insurers and major insurers such as Aviva, Zurich Insurance and Royal Sun Alliance met the minister responsible for the scheme, Lord Freud, on 14 occasions between October 2010 and September 2012.
