Contributions
21 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEmployment Rights Bill16 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillYes.16 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, Amendment 253A concerns inducements relating to union membership or activities. This is a simple amendment to clarify Section 145 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations…16 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I speak in favour of the Employment Rights Bill unamended and declare an interest as I was general secretary of the UK’s largest union, UNISON, for over 20 years. It has…10 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, many of my noble friends have spoken about the possible collapse of the social care system. The toxic combination of chronic underfunding and the dysfunctional market…05 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillI rise to speak in favour of the proposed school support staff negotiating body, as set out in the Bill. Noble Lords may remember that such a body was established in 2010. All the…05 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillI thank the noble Baroness for that comment. The whole intention appears to be to limit the scope of any collective bargaining. It is as clear as day. Different forms of words can…05 Jun 2025HANSARDInfected Blood Inquiry: Government ResponseMy Lords, I declare that I was a member of one of the expert groups that fed into the Infected Blood Inquiry, which looked into one of the darkest periods in the history of…21 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, like others, I congratulate all those making their maiden speeches today; they were absolutely brilliant. I too speak in favour of this Bill. How often have we heard…27 Mar 2025HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, like others, I welcome the noble Baroness, Lady Smith. What an impressive maiden speech. It is great to see her appointed to a ministerial position and I know that she…19 Jul 2024HANSARDCommercial Organisations and Public Authorities Duty (Human Rights and Environment) Bill [HL]My Lords, the Bill before us is not a panacea for all the harms caused by our global economic system, but if passed it will be a significant milestone in the continuing work to…10 May 2024HANSARDEmployment and Trade Union Rights (Dismissal and Re-engagement) Bill [HL]My Lords, what happened at P&O was a dreadful abuse of employment rights—an abuse that was rightly condemned but one that, regrettably, is not limited to a few ruthless employers…01 Mar 2024HANSARDStrikes (Minimum Service Levels: NHS Ambulance Services and the NHS Patient Transport Service) Regulations 2023My Lords, I speak in support of the amendment put forward by the noble Baroness, Lady Merron. As recently as 20 July this year, this House debated a report from our Public…06 Dec 2023HANSARDNational Health Service: 75th AnniversaryMy Lords, 2023 is the year we celebrate 75 years of our National Health Service, and what is crystal clear, above anything, is the continuing strength of people’s attachment to…30 Nov 2023HANSARDSocial CareMy Lords, I declare an interest: I was the general secretary of Unison, the public service union, which represents over half a million health and social care workers—members who…30 Mar 2023HANSARDStrikes (Minimum Service Levels) BillMy Lords, I speak in support of this group of amendments, particularly Amendments 42 and 44, which, if agreed, would remove the unfettered power of the Secretary of State to…23 Mar 2023HANSARDStrikes (Minimum Service Levels) BillMy Lords, I support Amendments 3 and 4 in the names of my noble friends Lord Collins and Lady O’Grady. Noble Lords will know that I have already expressed my opposition to the…09 Mar 2023HANSARDStrikes (Minimum Service Levels) BillMy Lords, I have to make two declarations of interest before I start. First, for over 20 years, until 2021, I was general secretary of UNISON, the public service union. Secondly,…21 Feb 2023HANSARDEmployment Rights LegislationMy Lords, in the very short time I have had the honour of being part of this House, I have witnessed the concerns many noble Lords have about the increasing use of statutory…01 Feb 2023HANSARDEmployment Rights LegislationI bring to your Lordships’ attention the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations, which were passed in 2000. These EU regulations enabled the trade…01 Feb 2023