PM must outlaw fire and rehire

The Prime Minister must act to ban fire and rehire and outlaw an employment practice he has himself described as ‘unacceptable’, the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union will tell the Conservative Party Conference today.

Fire and rehire is now being widely used as a tactic by employers to downgrade workers’ pay and working conditions.

The NASUWT has been dealing with numerous cases in independent schools where employers have sought to dismiss staff and reengage them on inferior contracts.

The NASUWT’s General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach will call for the Government to outlaw fire and rehire at a fringe meeting today at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.

He will be speaking alongside Christian Wakeford MP, together with Barry Gardiner MP and legal expert Neil Todd of Thompsons Solicitors.

Dr Roach said:

“The Prime Minister himself has described fire and rehire as “unacceptable as a negotiating tactic”. If the Government accepts that arbitrarily changing employees’ contractual terms in this way is wrong then the Government has a duty to act to outlaw the practice of dismissal and re-engagement.

“At present it is only through the collective action and protection offered by trade unions that workers are able to challenge attempts by employers to use dismissal and reengagement to downgrade their pay and working conditions.

“Teachers have been threatened with loss of employment, lower pay and pensions and even loss of their homes where housing is a part of their employment contracts.

“Fire and rehire is causing anxiety and misery for teachers and their families.

“Workers should not be forced to take industrial action in order to protect themselves from exploitation. They need to know the law is on their side.

“There is an unarguable case to change the law to protect the rights of all working people.”