Alex Sobel has called for an end to Fire and Rehire, and other exploitative work tactics at an event in Leeds on Friday.
The MP for Leeds North West described some of the conversations with constituents during the pandemic as 'heart-braking' as he detailed instances of people losing their jobs. Alex was joined at the event by all the Leeds Labour MPs including Hilary Benn, Rachel Reeves, Richard Burgon and Fabian Hamilton. Also in attendance was Mayor Tracy Brabin and Barry Gardiner MP.
In a speech at the event Alex said "there are businesses, well known businesses, that when push came to shove made the wrong choice. Instead of supporting staff onto furlough, instead of making sure that their dedicated employees had a job to come back to, they took the easy option. They chose to lay off their staff.
Now imagine this for a second. You have given your Labour, your time and energy, to an organisation for years. A global pandemic hits and throws the UK into both a health crisis and an economic crisis. You are worried about your family. Is my mum going to be OK on her own? Am I going to catch Covid and be hospitalised? Is that pre-existing condition going to make me vulnerable?
The last thing that you expect, is for your employer to leave you out of work and onto Universal Credit. Can you just imagine the anxiety, the fear and the economic harm that this would cause you? Speaking to these constituents was heart breaking. I begged this establishment to reconsider. Their Trade Union begged the establishment to reconsider.But they said no – we are struggling financially, and we are acting within the law."