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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