The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act
On June 12th 2012, the government called for evidence on proposals to " overhaul " the employment tribunal systems, reduce state inspections of workplaces and make it easier to repeal regulations- proposals contained within the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill( ERR Bill).
The Institute of Employment Rights( IER) immediately outlined how the Bill could make work more dangerous and unfair for employees, a view that was shared by so many organisations, politicians and peers that several attempts have been made to thwart the progress of the proposals through parliament.
However, the government insisted that its plans would come into law and on April 25 2013, the Bill was given Royal Assent. The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act( ERRA) was born, making the lives of workers more vulnerable in myriad ways.
Most of the employment-related proposals in the Bill are part of the Coalition ' s Employment Law Review- the aims of which closely mirror a report by venture capitalist and owner of payday loan company Wonga, Adrian Beecroft. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills states that the Review aims " to make evolutionary improvements to the labour market so it retains a flexibility and dynamism that benefits individuals, employers and the economy ", but it benefits mostly employers, is detrimental to workers, and- in some cases- seems to advantage nobody at all.
This IER resource outlines the major changes made through the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act and provides in-depth criticism from a range of sources on the implications of this reform for workers in the context of other legal changes brought in by the Coalition.
About the Institute of Employment Rights
The Institute of Employment Rights is an independent charity. We exist to inform the debate around trade union rights and labour law by providing information, critical analysis, and policy ideas through our network of academics, researchers and lawyers.
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