Lee Barron with Georgia Gould, Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office.
The Northamptonshire MP leading calls for legislation to protect the employment rights of terminally ill employees is encouraged by a government minister’s response.
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A MP’s campaign for employees suffering from a terminal illness to receive special “protected” status in employment has moved a step closer to success.
The Dying to Work campaign, established by the Trades Union Congress, wants to see terminal illness recognised as a “protected characteristic” so that an employee with a terminal illness would enjoy a “protected period” where they could not be dismissed as a result of their condition.
Lee Barron, the former TUC regional secretary in the Midlands who has represented the Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency since the General Election last year, has championed the campaign since taking his seat in Parliament.
He has met with fellow MP Georgia Gould, Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office, to discuss ways in which the government would sign up to the TUC’s Dying to Work Charter. She is responsible for public sector reform and has oversight of government functions, Cabinet Office business planning and the performance of public bodies.
“In reality this means committing the employer, in this case the UK government, to support, not sack, terminally ill workers,” said Lee. “It is legal in this country to sack a worker diagnosed with a terminal illness. That is wrong.
“The TUC Charter already protects over 1.5 million workers and getting central government endorsement is crucial if we are to change the law.”
The Dying to Work campaign highlights the potential effects of losing employment following a terminal diagnosis. These can include reduced income and loss of financial security, loss of stimulation, dignity and normality associated with being in employment, undergoing an inevitably stressful and upsetting HR procedure and loss of death in service and life assurance payments to family members and loved ones.
Lee also led a debate at Westminster Hall last year calling for a change in the law. “If you have been given a terminal illness diagnosis, the last thing you should be worrying about is taking your workplace to an employment tribunal,” he said.
“This is a significant step forward for the campaign. I explained to MPs at the end of last year in a debate that this was the start of a conversation not the end.
“Therefore, listening to the Minister’s intention for the whole of Whitehall to sign up to the Charter is reason for much optimism.”
A number of employers in the Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency have already signed up to the Charter, including industrial and electronics company RS Components, logistics giant Wincanton and the Royal Mail.
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