DTI promises wider talks – Alan Johnson’s letter

Alan
Johnson responds to Personnel Today’s demands for HR to be included in the
Government’s employee consultation review.

Dear
Personnel Today

Thank
you for your letter of 12 February 2001 to Stephen Byers. I am responding as
the minister responsible for employment relations.

I
was encouraged to learn from your open letter in the 13 February edition of
Personnel Today that the HR profession is keen to engage constructively in the
review announced by Stephen Byers on 18 January.

Recent
events have highlighted concerns about the way employees find out about
redundancies and the lack of consultation. The Government accepts this is a
complex area which requires careful consideration. We are therefore committed
to a thorough and wide-ranging review. We want to uncover all relevant aspects
and not rush into precipitate decisions on the basis of specific events or
inadequate evidence. It is for this reason that at this stage we cannot be more
precise about the questions you have raised and the direction of the review,
but we take note of your views.

However,
I would like to assure your readers that it is not the case that we will only
consult the CBI and TUC. We will also be meeting with as many individual
companies as possible (including, I hope, with HR directors), trade unions and
representative bodies.

For
your part, I am sure your journal will continue to take an interest in this
issue and I welcome this.

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Yours
sincerely

Alan
Johnson
Minister for Competitiveness