Sadiq Khan promised first City Hall team for unions and workers rights

Questions: unions funded Sadiq Khan’s campaign
Reuters
Pippa Crerar15 January 2016

Sadiq Khan plans to set up the first City Hall team to promote workers’ rights and union membership if he wins the mayoral race.

Critics accused Labour’s candidate of preparing to bring the unions, which have funded and endorsed his campaign, into the heart of London government.

Tories cited a recent memo from Mr Khan to Unison which they said raised questions about the influence the transport unions might have at City Hall. London Underground unions are currently planning three days of crippling strikes over the proposed Night Tube and working conditions. In his memo, Mr Khan pledged to be a “collective bargaining mayor” and to set up a dedicated team to work with unions for the benefit of employees. He also agreed to promote union membership.

Tory MP Bob Neill, a former local government minister, said: “We’ve heard it loud and clear, Sadiq Khan would bring the unions into the heart of decision-making at City Hall meaning no Night Tube and agreement to union demands for more money. Just like the hard-Left has infiltrated Labour, Khan will bring the unions into City Hall — and Londoners will pay the price.”

However, Mr Khan said the unit would concentrate on promoting fairness by boosting the number of Londoners paid the living wage, and preventing bad employment practices.

A spokesman for the Tooting MP said: “Unsurprisingly the Tories show themselves to be against tackling discrimination and inequality in the workplace.

“Sadiq’s Low Pay Unit will work at City Hall with all sides and will have a relentless focus on tackling low pay and in-work poverty. ”

All four main mayoral candidates have promised to name and shame bad employers who do not pay the minimum wage or fail to honour basic rights such as holiday pay or maternity leave. The Employment Legal Advice Network contacted the Tory, Labour, Lib-Dem and Green candidates after evidence emerged of a rise in the number of employers, often in the hotel, catering and cleaning industries, flouting the law.

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