Support for Personnel Today’s campaign with the EFSP to give employers more
say on developing and implementing legislation has been flooding in.
Employers, politicians and the TUC are backing our call to give employers
more time to respond to consultation documents and implement laws. The campaign
also wants clear guidance and well drafted documents.
Liberal Democrat MP Brian Cotter pledged to raise the issues in the House of
Commons.
He said there was often not even enough time to debate the laws properly in
Parliament. Working Time legislation was rushed through the Commons, he added.
"I support the measures in the part-time working directive, but again
the timescale for consulting is too short and it has to be implemented by
April, why isn’t longer being given?" he asked.
Conservative employment spokeswoman Angela Browning MP said she was
particularly concerned about the impact on small businesses. "They should
have a longer lead time. The Government has added to the burdens on them."
Support for the campaign has also come from unions. TUC general secretary
John Monks said, "Regulations should be clear and concise with proper
codes of practice or guidance going out with each piece of legislation."
He added there needs to be consistency in the consultation process and in
definitions such as the meaning of the term "worker".
Steve Gerrard, HR manager at Marine Projects, said the DTI’s argument that
there is time for "informal" consultation before official documents
are issued, is not good enough because employers do not know in advance what
will be in the papers.
Norwich airport personnel manager David Rankin called for a minimum of three
months to implement laws.
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David Procter, operations manager at the Nesco Group, said, "I am
appalled by the conflicting advice I am given due to the lack of clear
guidance."
By Dominique Hammond
