The Institute of Directors (IoD) has called on the government to change employment and planning laws in a bid to help companies recover after the recession.
The IoD has produced a paper containing 24 suggestions which it says will help the economy grow but many are controversial and the TUC has already condemned the proposals. The IoD says that the right of employees to request flexible working should be abolished as should the right to request time off work for training. It also says that employees who want to take firms to an industrial tribunal should be forced to put down a £500 deposit to try and root out vexatious claims.
The IoD says its plans will redress the balance between employer and employee, to make them more “business-friendly”. It also, controversially calls for wholesale changes to current planning laws to open up the greenbelt to developers.
Mike Templeman, director-general of the IoD, said that the measures were needed to provide a boost to the public sector which will lead the economy towards recovery and he said the institute urges ministers to seize the opportunity. However, the TUC said that the measures proposed by the IoD would do nothing to promote growth and would be regressive measures towards workers rights.