THE SNP will hold a debate in Westminster on whether control of employment law should be devolved to Scotland.
The debate – which will be led by SNP MP Angela Crawley – follows the UK Government’s failure to commit to an employment bill in this year’s Queen speech.
And off the back of Parliament’s summer recess, the SNP say the debate will be an opportunity to expose Westminster’s “appalling track record on workers’ rights” and make the case that Holyrood is better placed to protect workers in Scotland.
Crawley said that the Tories have a “poor track record” on workers’ rights and “lifting people in work out of poverty”.
She added: “It has had multiple chances to do the right thing and bring in an Employment Bill and it has refused to do so, making it clear that the only way we can enhance worker’s rights and tackle in-work poverty in Scotland is by ensuring full employment powers rest with the Scottish Government.
"That is made all the more crucial now with the emergence of a Liz Truss government intent on stripping protections and power away from unions while undermining workers and industrial action.
“Independence would allow Scotland to go even further and create fairer workplaces, increase wages, reduce insecure work and fundamentally, tackle in work poverty head on.”
The debate follows a summer of strike actions that across several industries in Scotland, including rail, cleansing workers and education over pay and conditions.
However, more upcoming strike action has been cancelled after unions recommended that their members accept the most recent pay offer from Cosla. This followed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon becoming more involved with negotiations.
Sturgeon has also been a vocal critic of the UK Government's move to allow agency workers to plug staffing shortages for businesses affected by strikes.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We strongly believe that in order for the labour market to work most effectively, the underlying legislative framework concerning rights and responsibilities in the workplace need to be consistent. The Scottish Parliament is already one of the most powerful devolved legislatures in the world, with significant powers over income tax and welfare.
“We have a strong track record in supporting workers and protecting and enhancing their rights, including helping more people into work so there are now more employees on the payroll than ever before, raising the national living wage to its highest rate yet and cracking down on enforcing the minimum wage, which is one of the highest in the world.”
