One of my major priorities is to defend and promote the rights of working people.
I am very pleased that a campaign waged by Citizens Advice has borne fruit. The Ministry of Justice says that High Court Enforcement Officers will take on recovery of awards granted by employment tribunals or in out-of-court settlements.
Government research found that 39% of people granted awards have not been paid and only 53% have been paid in full. People had to chase payment themselves through the courts and at their own expense when employers refused to cough up.
Rogue bosses are now in for a rough ride but social justice is the winner.
And there has been success on another compensation issue. Osteoarthritis of the knee in former miners will from July be covered by the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme.
But I am worried that former miners could be taken in by offers from lawyers to help them claim compensation for miner's knee.
Some lawyers fleeced people when we introduced compensation for miners with respiratory diseases or vibration white finger. I am proud that I played a part in helping miners get this compensation but I was disgusted by lawyers who not only took money to which they were not entitled they also recovered disgracefully low levels of compensation.
I don't want this to happen again and I am also keen that everybody with the disease claims. My message is simple - if you suffer from miner's knee, you can claim for free. People are entitled to use a lawyer but need not fork out when they can apply for free to the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme via Jobcentre Plus where very experienced staff can help. Or they can phone the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit office on 0845 600 1587 or text phone on 01977 464144.
The Government's car scrappage scheme offers consumers £2,000 towards a brand new car or van, when they trade in a 10-year-old vehicle of which they have been the registered keeper for 12 months.
This takes big polluters off the road and boosts the economy. As a result of the success of the scheme in Europe, Nissan are starting weekend work again and expect to build 15,000 extra cars as a direct result. The success of the scheme disproves the doom merchants but I hear that one garage has deducted VAT which I think is wrong.
Please let me know if this has happened to you. Contact me.
On a lighter note, many congratulations to the Gateshead under 13s football team who have just convincingly won the national final of the English Schools Inter-Association Trophy at St. James Park. I shall gladly trumpet their 3-1 triumph in the Commons.
| Promoted by Paul Foy on behalf of Dave Anderson, both of St Cuthbert's Church Hall, Shibdon Road, Blaydon, NE21 5PT |