The trade union movement has come together to hail Angela Rayner’s reforms to the Employment Rights Bill to stop “corporate bullyboys” taking away “workers from having an independent voice at work”.
Despite big business lobbying for the Labour government to “water down” its historic bill, Rayner, along with other ministers, has firmly stuck to plans for day-one rights for 9 million employees against unfair dismissal, which were previously only granted after two years’ employment.
The bill will additionally give more than a million low-paid workers on zero hours the right to a new contract, and an extra 30,000 parents will gain new rights to paternity leave. It will also give partners the right to bereavement leave following a miscarriage.
As well as this, it will strengthen sick pay to a million of the lowest-paid workers and strengthen remedies against companies abusing rules on collective redundancy by bolstering overall enforcement powers against rogue employers.
However, the government has said it will not proceed with any legal guarantees on the right to switch off work-related emails and calls outside office hours.
One union official said they got “nearly everything we asked for,” and the TUC’s general secretary, Paul Nowak, said changes were welcome.
“Corporate bullyboys like Amazon throw everything at trying to stop workers from having an independent voice at work,” he said. “This bill will help to stop this sort of egregious tactics.”
He added: “Everyone deserves security and respect at work. These common-sense reforms will improve the quality of jobs in this country, boost growth and put more money into people’s pockets.
“Policies like banning exploitative zero-hours contracts, ensuring protection from unfair dismissal from day one, and tackling ‘fire and rehire’ are long overdue and necessary.”
Sharon Graham of Unite said: “For decades, workers’ rights have been pushed down the agenda. This is the first time in a generation that workers’ rights have been taken seriously.”
CEO of the Employment Confederation, Neil Carberry added: “Regulating the umbrella market closes a loophole in addressing non-compliance. Recruiters have long called for regulations that ensure a level playing-field. Like all aspects of the government’s changes, proper enforcement will be key to protecting both businesses and workers.”
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After announcing the reforms, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said: “For too long millions of workers have been forced to face insecure, low paid and irregular work, while our economy is blighted by low growth and low productivity.
“We are turning the tide – with the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, boosting living standards and bringing with it an upgrade to our growth prospects and the reforms our economy so desperately needs.
“We have been working closely with businesses and workers to progress this landmark bill and deliver our Plan for Change – unleashing growth and making work pay for everyone.”