A little while ago I took part in a letter writing campaign by 38 Degrees to support the Amazon workers in one of their warehouses. They asked their supporters to write to their local MPs to get them to meet a delegation of the workers in parliament. The workers are demanding unionisation against poor working conditions and attempts by the management to combat these demands. Today I got a reply from my local MP here in Bristol South, Karin Smyth. She regrets that she was unable to meet the Amazon workers, but fully supports the right to unionise, collective bargaining and action and the new Labour legislation coming in that will support this.
‘Dear David
Thank you for contacting me about workers at Amazon’s warehouse in Coventry and their campaign for recognition for the GMB union. I was unfortunately unable to meet workers in Parliament due to prior commitments.
I believe that both businesses and workers benefit when workers are given a voice through a recognised trade union. I was therefore disappointed at the result of the ballot for union recognition at Amazon in Coventry. I welcome though that the Government has said it will look at what happened there as it seeks to improve the recognition process as part of its plan to make work pay.
I believe strong collective bargaining rights and institutions are key to tackling problems of insecurity, inequality, discrimination, low pay and poor conditions. I am therefore proud to support the Government’s commitment to strengthen the rights of working people by empowering workers to organise collectively through trade unions.
In relation to union recognition, I am pleased that the Government has said it will simplify the process and the law around statutory recognition thresholds, so that working people have a meaningful right to organise through trade unions. I note the concerns GMB highlights about existing legislation and processes presenting too many barriers to recognition, so I welcome the Government’s plans to review the process for statutory recognition claims and to remove the antiquated rule that means that unions must show that at least 50% of workers are likely to support their claim before the process has even begun. I also support plans to modernise the rules governing the final ballot in which workers vote on whether to recognise a trade union, requiring unions to gain a simple majority to win.
In addition, I support plans to introduce rights for trade unions to access workplaces in a regulated and responsible manner, for recruitment and organising purposes. This would bring the UK in line with many other modern advanced economies, giving business, workers and unions clarity and certainty when navigating their interactions.
More widely, I can assure you that I look forward to the forthcoming Employment Rights Bill and will back efforts to deliver the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, including repealing the anti-trade union legislation of the last Government, providing a genuine living wage and sick pay for the lowest earners, banning exploitative zero-hour contracts, ending fire and rehire and bringing in basic rights from day one on the job.
Thank you once again for contacting me about this crucial issue.
Yours sincerely
Karin Smyth MP
Labour MP for Bristol South’
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