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FPB brands TUC work your hours day 'reckless'

A leading business pressure group says today's stunt by the TUC to stage a national 'Work Your Proper Hours' day risks damaging the UK's economic engine room - small firms.

The Forum of Private Business (FPB), which represents 25,000 small to medium-sized firms, said small businesses rely on having a flexible relationship with their staff.

The FPB's Chief Executive Nick Goulding said:

"The TUC, with this idea, is hurling a crowbar into the works of small businesses. It sends out all the wrong messages to workers and is ill-thought-out and reckless. Small businesses employ a third of the workforce, that's 12.3 million people driving 51% of the total UK turnover."

"For those jobs to be provided, and that wealth to be created, small businesses need flexibility. They have to be able to ask their staff to work longer hours at time of customer demand. But the flipside is that small firms are happy to give workers time off and play fair. But the bottom line is small firms want a happy, productive and flexible workforce which understands the give and take nature of business."

Posted February 24, 2006

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