"UK to keep EU rules on workers’ rights and the environment after Brexit", 12 July 2018

Theresa May has accepted EU demands for a clause in the Brexit deal that will prevent them lowering employment or environmental standards. The White Paper published by the government today includes the ‘non-regression clause’ that Yahoo revealed in March the EU was seeking to insert into the deal... It means ministers would not be able to axe EU legislation like the Working Time Directive... Despite the concession, trade unions and environmental campaigners are still concerned about the prospect of the UK being left behind in terms of rights and standards. Although the clause means no existing legislation can be axed in the UK, it does not mean the government will have to implement EU legislation introduced after Brexit. TUC general secretary [...] said:  “Today’s offer on workers’ rights isn’t good enough. It provides no absolute guarantee for existing rights... “[T]his proposal would allow the rights of hardworking Brits to fall behind those of workers in other European countries. What we need is a common rule book on workers’ rights, now and into the future.”