- Home
- World
- News
- UK Workers 'Can't Wait' Years of Post-Brexit Uncertainty on Future EU Ties - Trade Union
UK Workers 'Can't Wait' Years Of Post-Brexit Uncertainty On Future EU Ties - Trade Union
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published February 22, 2019 | 04:15 PM
The UK departure from the European Union will not put an end to the troubles facing the country's workers, who will be the first to bear the brunt of a possible hard exit scenario and therefore be unable to wait around for the Brexit turmoil to settle
LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2019) The UK departure from the European Union will not put an end to the troubles facing the country's workers, who will be the first to bear the brunt of a possible hard exit scenario and therefore be unable to wait around for the Brexit turmoil to settle, the general secretary of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), mainly comprising low-paid migrant workers, told Sputnik in an interview.
"Even if this [withdrawal] deal passes it's not over. The deal is really just the transition agreement; we're going to have years having all these internal debates and negotiations about what the future relationship [with the EU] is going to look like. Workers in this country can't wait that long to get things done," Jason Moyer-Lee said.
According to the IWGB leader, a no-deal Brexit would be a "disaster for everyone," especially for EU migrant workers who depend on freedom of movement.
"A soft Brexit would obviously be a lot better. But the main concerns we have as a union are freedom of movement, which we think is a good concept and institution, something we want to protect. A lot of our members have EU passports and that's how they're here working. [So, they] are extremely anxious about what's going to happen to them. Unless we remain in the single market there will be a big change for them," he argued.
Another concern, Moyer-Lee believed, was the EU employment law "that we use and rely on every day to defend our member's rights [and] that's entirely at risk if we leave the European Union."
Finally, he expressed concern over the "hit to the economy that any form of Brexit would take," with precarious workers similarly expected to bear the major brunt of these woes.
Commenting on the split that the trade union movement was going through amid the looming Brexit, being divided into opponents of hard Brexit and those seeking to free the country from EU regulations, Moyer-Lee expressed the belief that "it's nuts to think that Brexit is going to be an opportunity for trade unions or working people.
"
"The customs union, I mean that seems to be one that gets more support from trade unionists as they don't want a disruption in the flow of goods for people who work in manufacturing and that kind of thing," he maintained.
When asked about his assessment of the stance taken by the Labour Party amid the government's failure to push its Brexit deal through parliament, the IWGB general secretary said that the union members would prefer a "People's Vote" on the final withdrawal agreement, which has not yet been "explicitly backed" by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
With regard to the recent series of defections by some Conservative and Labour members of parliament, including over their disagreement with the parties' stances on Brexit, Moyer-Lee suggested that, in case of the Tories, it might deprive UK Prime Minister Theresa May of a parliamentary majority and lead to a defeat in another potential no-confidence vote.
"The interesting thing to watch from my perspective is if there are more defections and that deprives Theresa May of her majority, then what happens? And how would these guys vote in a No Confidence vote? Because if that happens she loses her majority and we end up in General Election territory I think there could be a shift in approaches to Brexit," he opined.
The United Kingdom is set to leave the European Union on March 29. While London managed to negotiate a withdrawal deal with Brussels after months of intense talks, the parliament has been refusing to endorse the deal due to the controversial provision on the Irish border backstop, contributing to fears of a no-deal Brexit.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
DP World ILT20 Season 3 to begin from 11 January 2025
Sharjah Public Library unveils interactive arts and crafts journey at SCRF 2024
"Wonder Walks” show makes an enthralling debut at SCRF 2024
Remarkable Young Minds Light up the Stage at Sharjah Children’s Reading
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 12 May 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 12 May 2024
Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's visit schedule being discussed
Govt decides to procurement wheat from farmers
Deputy PM to pay 4-day visit to China from Monday
Pakistan seeks foreign investments in diverse sectors: PM
Digital transformation key priority for govt to improve tax collection: Aurangze ..
President-designate of COP29 for collective efforts to deal with climate change ..
More Stories From World
-
Nepali, British climbers extend Everest records
6 minutes ago -
Football: English Championship play-off semi-final results
6 minutes ago -
Fighting rages across Gaza as death toll tops 35,000
16 minutes ago -
At least 34 killed in Indonesia floods, 16 missing
16 minutes ago -
Football: Italian Serie A results
26 minutes ago -
Football: Italian Serie A table
26 minutes ago
-
First patient to get gene-edited pig kidney transplant dies
36 minutes ago -
Ex-bike champ Rossi relishes 'honour' of taking on Le Mans on four wheels
36 minutes ago -
Russia claims more advances in Ukraine's Kharkiv region
36 minutes ago -
Full-scale Rafah offensive 'cannot take place': UN rights chief
46 minutes ago -
Ishaq Dar to arrive in Beijing on Monday on official visit
56 minutes ago -
Spain PM's Socialists eye power grab as Catalonia votes
1 hour ago