New Labour nannying: Harriet Harman pushes The European Equal Treatment Directive

The European Equal Treatment Directive which the regulations will enforce says that women at work should not be "subjected to any conduct related to their sex which violates their dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment".

Lawyers said yesterday that businesses will need to show they have tried to clamp down on sexual harassment of workers by customers if they are to guard against the risk of compensation claims.

They advised pub operators to put up warning notices telling drinkers that "harassment is not tolerated".

The regulations were pushed through by Women and Equalities Minister Harriet Harman, who has powers under European legislation to amend discrimination law.

Miss Harman has used a statutory instrument that does not require a division or debate in Parliament.

Complying with the rules is likely to cost "micro and small" businesses more than £10million, according to an assessment by the Government Equalities Office.

Last year the High Court ruled that existing sex discrimination law was not strong enough to meet the demands of European directives.

However the regulations - which will come into force on Sunday - have sweeping implications for employers, especially in the pub, restaurant and hotel trade.

Stuart Chamberlain, an employment law specialist at Consult GEE, said:

"Employers may feel uncomfortable about confronting clients but they need to be aware that failing to take action could result in a claim for compensation, including for injury to feelings.

"Shops, bars or gyms may be able to put up notices explaining that harassment of staff is not tolerated by the management.

The rules allow tribunals to award unlimited damages for injury to feelings if a case is proved.

**What the fuck? Signs warning us to behave in pubs and clubs. Jesus wept, is this really the society that New Labour want? Crack a joke after a hard week in work and before you can fisnish your pint you end up hauled before the justices accused of not having a pc attitude.

Where the fuck are we living Cuba?

Oh hang on was it not the same Harriet Harman who said the following:

Fidel Castro: hero of the left, or dangerous authoritarian dictator?
David Newton Edinburgh

Harman: Hero of the left – but time for Cuba to move on.

Enough said really, anyway back to the thought crimes bill.

The burden of proof will lie with employers. There will be no need for workers to show their employer allowed harassment to happen - instead, managers must demonstrate that they were not at fault.

Workers must show they suffered three incidents of harassment before they can make a claim. The incidents can involve different customers, so it will not be enough for a bar manager to ban just one difficult drinker.

The kind of behaviour that amounts to harassment will be for a tribunal to decide. If an employee can prove she was hurt or upset, being called "love" or "darling" repeatedly might be enough to win compensation.

Jill Kirby of the centre-Right think tank Centre for Policy Studies said: 'This latest round of discrimination legislation has moved far beyond common sense. It will bring the law into disrepute.

"It is trying to legislate against everyday behaviour. People will start to be afraid if they call someone young lady or my love. It is impossible for an employer to control customers in this way."

Stephen Alambritis, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "It really is unfair to employers to expect them to vouch for every customer, including those who aren't regulars.

"Landlords will have to sit around trying to listen in on customers' conversations, rather than having any rest period or break.

"We would hope that common sense would prevail without the need for heavy-handed legislation that leaves employers immensely worried.

"Pubs are mostly well run in this country and landlords know when to step in and calm things down. They should be trusted to do so."

**But that is the basic problem with New Labour, they feel that we the public are not subject to common sense, they we need to be controlled, micromanaged in each and every aspect of our lives. That they the great puritans know what is best for us and will justify their existence at our expense in order to do so.

The laws will be policed by the Government's Commission for Equality and Human Rights. A spokesman said: "When employers know that harassment is going on they are in a position to do something about it."

**And spivs, people on the make and who see the opportunity for a few notes padding out the back pocket will be leaping forth to the courts with many a dubious claim. However this will not be seen by New Labour as a failure, oh no.

Instead New Labour will see it as they did with the piss poor and much abused Human Rights Act as a show piece bit of legislation. They will see each case as proof as to how we need ever more control, ever more meaningless laws, ever more watching on the part of the state and its many agencies.

They want a society where free speech is controlled and they plan to get it. As I have said before New Labour have read George Orwell's 1984 and are using it as a guide for governing the UK.

Jill Kirby of the centre-Right think tank Centre for Policy Studies said: 'This latest round of discrimination legislation has moved far beyond common sense. It will bring the law into disrepute.

"It is trying to legislate against everyday behaviour. People will start to be afraid if they call someone young lady or my love. It is impossible for an employer to control customers in this way."

Stephen Alambritis, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "It really is unfair to employers to expect them to vouch for every customer, including those who aren't regulars.

"Landlords will have to sit around trying to listen in on customers' conversations, rather than having any rest period or break.

This law that has not and will not be debated thanks to powers handed to the EU, seeks to imply it is correcting a wrong, some omission in law. All it is doing is offering a charter to those who seek easy money.

The friendly banter of our social life will be replaced with a 21st Century puritanism that will be the envy of Oliver Cromwell's Republic. A world where a simple "Hello love" to the wrong person can be seen as a crime is wrong.

Still if this poor bill has any redeeming feature it is to show up New Labour's po-faced puritanism, to show their hatred of our society in all its forms and their innate desire to social engineer all aspects of our lives.

Still what else can we expect from a self righteous craven harridan like Harriet Harman.

Maybe we should all sell up and go some place a tad more democratic, like say Zimbabwe...

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