MEPs vote for worker protection in Brexit


The European Parliament has voted by nearly four to one in favour of protecting UK workers’ right in the eventual Brexit deal. 


And after lobbying from the European trade union movement, MEPs made it crystal clear that any future deal should be conditional on “continued adherence” by the UK to the EU social dimension. This is a major victory for the TUC’s campaign to make sure that working people’s existing rights at work are protected, and that we don’t fall behind other EU member states if they get better rights in the future.


TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Workers’ rights must be at the heart of Britain’s deal with the EU. It must protect current rights like paid holidays, equal pay, and fairness for agency workers. And it must guarantee a level playing field into the future, so working people in Britain don’t fall behind our European neighbours.”


The European Parliament is not formally engaged in the Brexit negotiations. However, they do get a vote at the end of the negotiations on the final deal, and they could vote it down if it doesn’t meet their expectations.


http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2017/04/meps-vote-overwhelmingly-workers-rights-protected-brexit-deal