Clause 30 - Flexible working
Employment Relations Bill
10:15 am
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 54, in
clause 30, page 26, line 32, leave out subsection (4).
The clause is important because it is about extending rights to flexible workers. Subsection (4) allows an exemption to the one-year qualifying period of continuous employment for claims for unfair dismissal. Will the Minister clarify something? In the review of the Employment Relations Act 1999—a consultative process was obviously ongoing—what sort of representations did he receive from trade
unions and other bodies pushing for a shortening of the period of qualification? I had a look at the review paper and could see no mention of substantial representations to have the period shortened.