Author Archives: Tracy Connell

Tracy Connell

‘Shares for Rights’ defeated in the Lords

By Tracy Connell | Fri 22nd March 2013 - 2:51 pm

There is an unwritten rule that there can be no deaths in the Palace of Westminster. Well, we had one in the House of Lords on Wednesday, as the controversial ‘Employee Shareholder’ clause in the Growth and Infrastructure Bill was removed.

This pet project of George Osborne would have set up a new employment status where employees would be required to give up certain workers rights in exchange for shares in the company. Labour and crossbench Peers, plus a small number of prominent Liberal Democrat and rebel Conservative peers supported the amendment.

Crossbencher Lord Pannick, outlined four main problems with the new …

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Posted in News and Parliament | Tagged and | 6 Comments
Tracy Connell

Opinion: Time to quash Osborne’s employee-owner status

By Tracy Connell | Wed 12th December 2012 - 8:55 am

I would like to make a plea to MPs of all parties not to support the new employee-owner status and to table an amendment to remove it from the Growth and Infrastructure Bill. Buried in section 25 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill (as amended in Public Bill Committee), it seeks to provide a new employment status involving company shares in exchange for worker rights. It is due at report stage and third reading in the

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 10 Comments
Tracy Connell

Protecting workers’ rights: Give your views on Osborne’s shares for rights

By Tracy Connell | Tue 6th November 2012 - 2:20 pm

Time is running out to take part in the Employee Share Ownership Consultation, which ends on 8th November 2012. Please complete this consultation and help the Lib Dems send a message to Osborne that workers’ rights are not up for grabs.

The full consultation document sets out the proposal for a new employment status of employee share ownership, but where the employee gives up employment rights in exchange for company shares. There is also a summary of the proposal on the treasury website.

Some points to consider:

The government suggest this scheme is voluntary, but what about those on Job …

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Posted in News | Tagged | 17 Comments
Tracy Connell

Opinion: Let’s unite against George Osborne’s employee rights grab

By Tracy Connell | Tue 30th October 2012 - 9:54 am

George Osborne has many faults, but we have to thank him for one thing – uniting the Liberal Democrats. There are groups within the Lib Dems holding different, even opposite views. However, many Lib Dems are united in their opposition to Osborne’s idea of exchanging workers’ rights for shares in their company.  If you agree, please help us by taking part in the consultation on these proposals which ends on 8th November.

Whilst the Lib Dems are fully behind the idea of Employee Share

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 16 Comments
Tracy Connell

Employee share ownership – open letter to Vince Cable and Nick Clegg

By Tracy Connell | Tue 16th October 2012 - 10:53 am

We, the undersigned, are extremely concerned by the employee share ownership policy. We call for this bill to be amended to remove the part where workers have to give up their rights for share-ownership and, rather, for the proposal to mirror that agreed by the Liberal Democrat conference in this document.

The proposal appears to allow for workers to give up their rights in return for company shares, as detailed on the HM Treasury website:

Under the new type of contract, employees will be given between £2,000 and £50,000 of shares that are exempt from capital gains tax. In exchange, they

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Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 80 Comments
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