Cable slams plan to shake up employment law

PLANS TO cut employment red tape by stripping down labour rights and making it easier for firms to sack under-performing staff have been blasted as “complete nonsense” by Business Secretary Vince Cable.

His outburst, which is set to increase tensions within the coalition, comes as venture capitalist Adrian Beecroft prepares to publish a study recommending a raft of employment reforms.

Mr Cable said: “Some people think that if labour rights were stripped down to the most basic minimum, employers would start hiring and the economy would soar again. This is complete nonsense.”

He added: “British workers are an asset, not just a cost for company bosses.

“That is why I am opposed to the ideological zealots who want to encourage British firms to fire at will.”

The study, which was commissioned by David Cameron, is expected to call for firms to be given more flexibility to make redundancies, and an easing of equality rules to boost job creation.

But Mr Cable added: “Those who want to shake up the law need to realise that the days when the unions ruled the roost have long since gone.

“I talk to businesses every day and none of them tell me that their biggest obstacle to employment and growth is troublesome workers they can’t get rid of.”