Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

BrexitEuropeLatest News

Unions fear for workers’ rights after Truss pledge

by Jo Faragher 25 Jul 2022
by Jo Faragher 25 Jul 2022 Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss said she wanted to 'unleash the potential of Britain post-Brexit'
Uwe Deffner / Alamy Stock Photo
Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss said she wanted to 'unleash the potential of Britain post-Brexit'
Uwe Deffner / Alamy Stock Photo

Unions have voiced concern that Conservative leadership contender Liz Truss could launch a ‘bonfire of rights’ if she becomes prime minister.

She began her leadership campaign this weekend with a pledge to scrap any remaining EU-derived laws by the end of 2023.

The current foreign secretary and favourite to win the leadership contest said her plan would evaluate each remaining EU law and regulation “on the basis of whether it supports UK growth or boosts investment”.

Those that did not meet these criteria – potentially including a number of laws that grant workers rights – would disappear by the end of 2023.

Truss said this would “unleash the full potential of Britain post-Brexit, and accelerate plans to get EU law off our statute books so we can boost growth and make the most of our newfound freedoms outside the EU”.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said her pledge was “ideological posturing at the expense of ordinary working people”. “These [laws] are all essential, not a nice-to-have,” she said.

Employment rights

Brexit remains an ‘open wound’ for EU employees in the UK 

Brexit and UK employment law 

What is the impact of Brexit on employment law?

Dave Penman, head of civil service union FDA, questioned whether civil service staffing levels would be up to the job of reviewing and removing hundreds of pieces of legislation from the statute books.

There are currently plans to reduce civil service headcount by as many as one in five roles over the next three years.

“If a new prime minister also wants to review thousands of pieces of legislation, then something needs to give,” said Penman. “Any serious government needs to demonstrate how it will match resources with commitments, otherwise this is just fantasy politics.”

A further issue could be friction with Brussels – according to the terms of the Brexit deal, the UK must not weaken or reduce the level of employment rights in a way that could affect trade or investment.

Fellow leadership candidate Rishi Sunak has previously indicated he would appoint a new Brexit minister to look at remaining EU legislation, and would introduce any changes within the first 100 days of becoming prime minister.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The successful candidate will be announced on 5 September, with the leader likely to take over as prime minister the next day.

HR roles in the local and national government on Personnel Today


Browse more HR roles in the local and national government

Liz Truss
Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
NHS workforce faces ‘greatest crisis in history’
next post
Janet O’Neill: My role at the National School of Occupational Health

You may also like

UK and EU agree to collaborate on ‘youth...

19 May 2025

Labour MPs urge more flexibility with EU over...

24 Apr 2025

Trump’s tariffs to hit growth and jobs, warn...

3 Apr 2025

Youth mobility scheme on the table for Starmer...

21 Feb 2025

Sharp decline in net migration as fewer dependants...

28 Nov 2024

Qualified support for Reeves after Mansion House speech

15 Nov 2024

Why ministers must restore the EU youth mobility...

21 Oct 2024

Barriers to workers getting qualifications recognised in EU

2 Jul 2024

SNP manifesto: NHS investment and rejoining the EU

19 Jun 2024

Seasonal farm worker brings tribunal case over unpaid...

24 May 2024

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+