Ministers to meet SMEs over radical workers’ rights reforms
Representatives of Britain’s army of small businesses will hold talks with ministers this week amid a mounting backlash against radical government plans to reform workers’ rights.
Sky News has learnt that Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, and Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, will meet private sector bosses at 10 Downing Street for the second roundtable summit on the issue.
A meeting last week saw the two cabinet ministers hold discussions with larger employers including BT Group, John Lewis Partnership and J Sainsbury.
On Wednesday, they will meet SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) representatives including executives from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Caravan restaurant chain, according to insiders.
Others will include SMEs in the retail and hospitality sectors, they added.
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The government has sparked alarm across the corporate sector over plans to give employees a “right to switch off” and a ban on zero-hours contracts.
The Department for Business and Trade declined to comment on the meeting on Tuesday.
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A source pointed out that ministers had sought to reassure business leaders that their concerns would be listened to “at every stage” of the reform process.
“Small businesses make a huge contribution to the economy and to jobs, but don’t always face the same challenges as big business,” the source said.
“That’s why it’s vital we meet them to talk directly and hear their feedback before the bill is published.”