FPB’s Queen’s Speech focus
SMALL business lobby group the Forum of Private Business
is championing the cause of retail suppliers and small employers ahead of the Queen’s Speech.
The Knutsford-based organisation is urging the Government to ensure the Groceries Code Adjudicator has the necessary power to fine supermarkets who ‘abuse’ their suppliers, and to ensure new laws on parental leave don’t unfairly harm small business.
Both bills will be announced by Her Majesty later today, paving the way for both to be ratified by Parliament and set in statute.
FPB senior policy adviser, Alex Jackman, said of the Groceries Code Adjudicator: “When the draft bill was announced last year we were critical of the fact there were no plans for the adjudicator to have powers to fine supermarkets found to be treating their suppliers unfairly – a glaring omission.
“Our sentiment has not changed and we still feel that an adjudicator without the firepower to deal effectively with supermarket abuse can’t be effective.
“Our position is that we support the adjudicator, and want it implemented as soon as possible, but we want the position to have powers to fine immediately, and, crucially, with multiplier fines for repeat offenders. Let’s not set up a system whose hands are tied to begin with.”
On the matter of flexible working – which will be included in the Children and Families Bill – the FPB is concerned over the impact of allowing all employees to request flexible working.
Mr Jackman said: “Our position on this is that flexible working is good for some businesses, but they should not be compelled into providing it if it doesn’t suit.
Further, managers will likely find themselves in the middle of competing requests for flexible leave and will have to arbitrate which is the more deserving case. This is time consuming and will almost certainly lead to conflict between the winners and the losers too – hardly great for encouraging workforce harmony.
“This has the potential to become a real headache for small business.”
