Consultation response to changes to rules for collective redundancies

The IER has responded to the Coalition’s consultation on proposed changes to Collective Redundancy legislation we warned would undermine workers’ rights.

The government’s proposals include reducing the 90-day consultation period currently required for collective redundancies in order to make it easier for employers to fire staff en masse.

We warn:

“The government’s proposals will prove counter-productive and will weaken worker protection … [while] by reducing the minimum 90-days period there is a risk that the proposals will send a clear message to employers that there is no need to engage in meaningful consultation … The proposed changes are likely to undermine good practices of seeking alternatives to redundancies and will actively deter good employers from engaging in more comprehensive consultation.”