A report released today by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights criticises the government's proposed regulations aimed at outlawing blacklisting.
The report, Any of our Business? Human Rights and the UK Private Sector, looks at how businesses need to take account of human rights legislation and concerns.
In what must have been a very late addition to the report, it raises concerns about new laws on blacklisting.
The report emphasises evidence from UCATT as well as Prof Keith Ewing that the proposals do not go far enough.
It says:
"We doubt the compatibility of the Government’s blacklisting proposals with the UK’s international human rights obligations. We recommend that the Government provide a full explanation of its argument that the proposals are compatible. This should include a response to the criticism of the Institute of Employment Rights, that these proposals fail to provide an adequate remedy for those individuals who have already been affected by blacklisting."
And it promises:
"In the light of the Government’s explanation, we anticipate revisiting this issue."
A PDF copy of the report can be downloaded here.
Several Labour MPs have been pressing for the committee to investigate blacklisting so that those involved can be properly scrutinised and regulations drawn as effectively as possible.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
“This report backs up TUC concerns that UK industrial relations laws – including the proposed regulations on blacklisting – are out of line with international human rights standards.
“The blacklisting regulations need rethinking, and the Government needs to come up with a new strategy on human rights at work, at home and where British companies operate abroad.”
Yesterday an Early Day Motion was put which called on the government to ammend its proposals in order to ensure blacklisting can effectively be outlawed.
The government says the regulations will need to go before both houses of parliament and aims to have them on the statuate book in the New Year.
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