Private Eye magazine has published an article which provides a clear illustration of what has been going on behind the scenes between the Government and employers to further water down the Employment Rights Act even further.
Private Eye reports on a ‘private dinner’ attended by Labour Minister Kate Dearden at the Department for Business and Trade with Aussie lobbying firm Anacta in January this year.
Along with a number of Aussie companies, including airline Qantas (recently fined AUD 90 million for illegally firing 1,880 workers) UK companies present at the private dinner inlcuded Amazon, Sainsbury’s and Capita.
Following the dreadful local election results which have resulted in a challenge to the prime minister the Labour Party’s affiliated trade unions (TULO) issued a statement which was clear: “Labour must also deliver the rebalancing of power in the workplace promised in the New Deal for Working People, in full, without any carve-outs or loopholes”
It is time for the candidates challenging the prime minister to be clear and say there will be no more changes to the ERA; and that cosy dinners and meetings with companies to discuss the ERA, or its implementation, or the regulations under it are not acceptable and will cease. They should commit to a second Employment Rights Bill designed to go further than the current Act and fully implement the New Deal For Working People.
It is interesting to see the minister holding a flyer to “Make Work Pay” (a tag line to the ‘New Deal For Workers’) .
The one area that could raise the pay for millions of workers is statutory support for sectoral collective bargaining, which was deliberately excluded from the Employment Rights Act. Improving individual employment rights will not lead to higher pay!
Private Eye article in full:
Under the guise of a dinner, employment minister Kate Dearden met various corporate figures to discuss “employment rights” at an event organised by a lobbying firm that is cosy with Labour.
The register of ministers’ gifts and hospitality describes the event simply as a “dinner” organised by Australian lobbyists Anacta. But background documents released to the Eye under freedom of information rules show it was in fact a meeting with what Dearden’s office called “heads of public affairs and C-suite leaders” drawn from Anacta’s clients.
Anacta greatly expanded its UK business after Keir Starmer came to power by hiring Labour insiders, including Matt Faulding, who was in charge of the party’s candidate selection for the 2024 election. The firm also had a commanding presence at Labour’s party conference in Liverpool, where it erected an imposing two-storey magenta temporary HQ that dominated the entrance to the event.
Organising for the January dinner began with an email to a Dearden aide saying: “It was lovely to see you at Labour Party conference.” Dearden said she was “delighted” to accept the invitation. The dinner was held in the library at the Old Queen Street Café, which, despite its name, is a private function room in a smart Westminster brasserie.
Anacta sent Dearden a briefing – redacted by the Department for Business and Trade – which “focuses on employment rights” and an outline of the discussion format. As it was dressed up as a “dinner”, the government did not list the companies Dearden met, but the Eye understands Anacta brought along nine companies, including gig-economy employer Uber; Bacta, the trade body for amusement arcades; and the airline Qantas, recently fined £43m in Australia for illegally firing 1,800 staff. All are Anacta clients.
Bosses were also present from Sainsbury’s, outsourcer Capita and Amazon, the latter known for its anti-union stance. Anacta told us these three are not paying clients, but would not explain why it brought them to meet the minister. Most likely it wanted to impress them by showing its access to government.