High Court on Worker Rights

Today the High Court handed-down judgement on a judicial review claim concerning a failure by the United Kingdom (UK) to adopt EU measures encouraging improvements in the health and safety of workers at work (R (The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain v The Secretary of State for Work & Pensions and Others [2020] EWHC 3050 (Admin)). The need for such protections to be applied to workers, not just employees, has come into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It found, in part, for the Claimants necessitating a need for the UK government to introduce new legislation on rights to refuse work and provide personal protection equipment.  This is however, subject to a right of appeal.