𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

JohnHealey has been accused of handing a “bung to Labour’s political allies” after he found £40million for unions to use Angela Rayner’s new workers’ rights against bosses. The money will be used to bring back the Union Learning Fund – a Blairite scheme which was axed by the Tories in 2021.

According to the Trades Union Congress, it will promote activity by trade unions to “encourage greater take up of learning in the workplace”. But the timing has raised fears that taxpayers’ money will be used to hammer bosses and enforce the Employment Rights Act. It also coincides with Ms Rayner’s new laws, which came into force last week and which critics say makes it much easier to sue employers.

Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith said: “This is nothing but a political bung to Labour’s political allies. Hard-pressed families get cheaper gherkins while Labour’s trade union friends get a £40million giveaway. With the red tape (Un)Employment Act already costing jobs, this will just help unions browbeat businesses further.”

When the scheme was in place before, nearly half of non-union members who took up the offer of training and development via the fund went on to join a union.

According to the Mail on Sunday it bankrolled more than 50 unions to operate in more than 700 workplaces during its 23-year history.

The scheme is aimed at “improving learning” in the workplace.

But the Tories say it is a smokescreen for empowering the unions to go after employers. Bosses must now comply with a wave of complex measures which include a ‘banter ban’ in workplaces, unlimited compensation claims and liberalised strike laws.

While union activities must be legally separate from the fund, the Tories’ then-education secretary Gavin Williamson said it served only to “channel money into the TUC”.