STEPHEN Flynn has called on Keir Starmer to U-turn on his party’s “long-standing opposition” to giving Scotland control over employment law.
The SNP’s leader in Westminster wrote to the Labour leader on Monday to reiterate his desire to see the Scottish Parliament take control of the law on workers’ rights and trade unions.
Flynn said he had received no response from an earlier letter sent in January and offered to meet with Starmer to make the case for Scotland taking control of employment law.
The letter was sent just before MPs took to the Commons to debate the Government’s anti-strike laws, which will introduce “minimum service levels” – effectively barring some workers from striking to ensure trains and other public services continue to run during industrial action.
It comes after Scotland was revealed as the zero-hour contracts capital of the UK, with 3.9% of Scottish workers employed on insecure terms.
Flynn wrote: “I am forced to remind you that in January I wrote to you regarding this disgraceful legislation.
“I offered to work with you to obstruct and oppose this bill, but I also suggested we actively discuss the devolution of employment powers in order to permanently protect Scottish workers from these Tory attacks. I received no response to my offer.
“Unfortunately, I have to accept that it is now very likely that the Tories will force this legislation through. It is, therefore, now more important than ever that we urgently discuss and agree on the importance of devolving employment law to the Scottish Parliament.
“You did not respond to this offer in January, I sincerely hope that your position and stance has changed now.”
The SNP chief said it was Westminster control of employment law which had allowed zero-hours contracts to flourish in Scotland despite “widespread” opposition.
He added: “Only last week, the Office of National Statistics confirmed that 3.9% of the Scottish workforce are dealing with the deep insecurity caused by zero hours contracts. This is despite the fact that across Scotland, there is widespread political and civic support to finally end these anti-worker contracts.
“There is one very simple reason why they continue to exist. Westminster control of Scotland’s employment laws is directly resulting in over 105,000 Scottish workers holding these contracts and being denied the dignity of basic working practices in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.”
Roz Foyer, the general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, has repeatedly called for the Scottish Parliament to be given control of employment law, Flynn noted.
He added: “If you are truly committed to protecting workers from these Tory attacks, now is the right time to get behind the solution being advocated by the Scottish Trades Union Congress.
“Now is the right time to end the Labour Party’s long-standing opposition to the devolution of employment law to the Scottish Parliament.”
A Labour spokesperson said: "Stephen Flynn should do some basic reading before committing pen to paper.
“The next Labour government will end zero-hour contracts and push power out of Whitehall across the whole UK.
“In the first 100 days, a UK Labour government will introduce the biggest increase in workers' rights in a generation.
“While the SNP say they don’t care if the Tories win the general election, Scots know that only a Labour government can boot the Tories out of Downing Street and deliver the change Scotland needs.”
