Advocate Louise Hall. (0037465)

A UNION attack on Guernsey’s employment laws failed to consider the island’s situation, according to experts.

AO Hall advocate Louise Hall and Confederation of Guernsey Industry chairman Peter Budwin both criticised Unite boss Len McCluskey’s comment that the island was shockingly behind the rest of Europe.

‘Guernsey laws are fit for Guernsey and let’s keep it that way,’ said Mr Budwin. ‘These laws are fit for the island and not Europe – we are not in Europe,’ he said.

Mr Budwin said updates were occasionally necessary but his experiences of the system had been good.

‘I sit on employment tribunals and they seem to work OK,’ he said.

Advocate Hall questioned Mr McCluskey’s comparison of Guernsey’s employment protection with equivalent legislation in the UK and on the Continent. ‘I would respectfully suggest that Mr McCluskey should realise that he is not comparing like for like,’ she said.

‘A jurisdiction with a population of around 65,000 cannot hope to have the resources available to it of places such as the UK with a population of 61 million.’

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