MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A number of UK companies are using the ongoing Brexit process to abuse the rights of their workers by freezing salary payments, refusing to pay bonuses or threatening pension schemes, the Unite trade union said Monday in a statement.
"Workplace representatives of Unite, the UK’s largest union, are increasingly reporting that employers are attempting to force through pay freezes or below inflation pay offers, citing Brexit as the reason for their actions," the statement said.
According to the statement, the companies, which had had fewer opportunities to abuse workers' rights, were those that employed members of trade unions.
The majority of UK citizens backed the decision to withdraw from the European Union at the referendum held in 2016. Since the start of the Brexit negotiations, uncertainty has been surrounding the withdrawal process, especially regarding the prospects for the UK economy. The situation has already led to depreciation of a pound and to decision of certain financial institutions to relocate their offices from the United Kingdom.
