BRITAIN is lagging behind on worker protections compared with other countries, according to the TUC.

The trade union confederation cited a study by employment experts today as showing that labour laws are half as protective as those in France and “significantly” weaker than in other countries including Spain, Italy and Germany.

Analysis by Dr Irakli Barbakadze and Professor Simon Deakin of the University of Cambridge centre for business research demonstrates a need for changes to reduce the gap between workers’ rights in Britain and in comparable nations, the TUC said.