A major new opinion poll shows continued public support for the Economy Minister’s Caoimhe Archibald’s plan to bring forward new legislation on workers’ rights and good jobs.
A new LucidTalk poll reported by the Belfast Telegraph today shows that over 70% of the total sample agreed that trade union access should be part of the Good Jobs Employment Rights Bill. Despite the widely stated opposition of business groups and some unionist parties, there are significant levels of support among unionist voters (44% versus 36% opposed) as well as overwhelming support from nationalist and Alliance voters in support of trade union access.
Similar proportions of voters disagree that business lobby groups be allowed block new rights for workers and democratic scrutiny of the Good Jobs Bill in the NI Assembly. 45% of unionist voters say that business groups should not wield a veto over new workers’ rights, with only 33% in support.
The LucidTalk poll (which received 3,043 responses, weighted/modelled NI representative sample of 1,050) shows that arguments before the summer recess over the DUP’s blocking of the Bill at the NI Executive have been noted by the voting public. While a majority of DUP voters support the party’s position (48%), a significant minority (28%) say that they would consider their support for a party which was blocking giving workers more employment rights.
Although the question did not mention the DUP, it is notable that 48% of UUP voters and 37% of TUV voters agreed that they would consider their support for such a party, which may affect how some unionists use their transfer votes at next spring’s Assembly election.
Unionist voters are also concerned about the widening of a ‘Workers’ Rights Sea Border’, following the passing in Westminster of most of the same rights, including trade union access to workers in firms with 21 employees or more. 50% of unionists are concerned about this new ‘Sea Border’, including 39% of DUP voters, 59% of UUP voters and 63% of TUV voters.
Speaking on the finding of the poll, ICTU Assistant General Secretary Gerry Murphy said
Laws for better workers’ rights are being rolled out across England, Wales and Scotland right now, but yet again workers in Northern Ireland are being denied these same rights by parties who represent a minority of MLAs and whose public support is under pressure.
The public and most MLAs believe that this legislation is overdue and there is an appetite for it across all parties’ supporters.
People understand what the legislation aims to address when questioned about it, and that taking trade union access from the Bill will make it less effective. Workers need access to unions in order to ensure their rights in the Good Jobs Bill are respected.
This legislation still remains an easy ‘win’ for an Assembly and Executive which has delivered little since its restoration 2 ½ years ago and has just a few months left. However, there remains still time to pass all stages of the Good Jobs Bill - if the will is there.
It is understandable for unionist voters to be concerned about the creation of a workers’ rights sea border, and they are. But this is a huge concern for supporters of Sinn Fein, Alliance, and SDLP also.
There is already a gap between the employment rights enjoyed by workers in GB and those in the North, and that gap is widening to a gulf.
It is apparent that the Stormont parties are in pre-election mode. Political parties can choose to listen to the public’s viewpoints on what is a real ‘bread-and-butter’ issue, or the admonitions of professional lobbyists. Those polled clearly do not agree with the idea that preventing NI Assembly debate and delaying workers' rights should be in the gift of lobbyists.
