Labour’s policy to block small businesses from Government tenders
A reader e-mails:
Labour’s small business policy promises to significantly increase the proportion of government undertaken by small business. This is good, but….
Labours Work and Wages policy will “ensure that government bodies only contract with businesses that are good employers including a history of adhering to employment legislation, and respecting the right of their employees to join a union and bargain collectively.”
Labour will also “seek to use the purchasing power of the state to create incentives for private sector employers who can become certified Living Wage employers.”
Small businesses will not be exempt from the good employer requirements, unless Labour proposes to backtrack on its Work and Wages Policy. Most small businesses are not unionised. Does this mean they will need to unionise to get a look in? Will they have to pay $18.40 or more to their employees before they get a look in?
Labour’s policy does seem to be that the Government should discriminate against employers who do not unionised workplaces, which will mean almost all small businesses.
This is a very self serving policy. Almost all business policies of Labour’s are about forcing or incentivising more people to join unions. Unions in turn then use their extra money to help Labour get elected, in four ways:
- Some unions join Labour and get to vote on their leader, candidates and policies
- Some unions donate directly to Labour
- Almost all unions allow their staff to spend as much time as they want campaigning for Labour on work time
- Many unions run third party campaigns on issues, designed to help Labour get elected
So while one of Labour’s policies say they want more small businesses winning tenders, the small print is only if they have unionised workforces, to help fund the Labour Party.