Unions, lawyers, and rights groups slam Tory ministers’ decision to reintroduce tribunal fees
CanaryFEB 9 2024
The UK's Labour government has unveiled 28 reforms under its new Employment Rights Bill, including day-one-of-employment protections surrounding wages, firing and rehiring policies, and paid leave.The UK's Labour government has unveiled 28 individual reforms under its new Employment Rights Bill, including day-one-of-employment protections surrounding wages, firing and rehiring policies, and paid leave.
If implemented, which could take two years, the law would protect 9M workers from unfair firing; add 30K fathers to paternity leave and 1.5M to parental leave; and give qualifying employees immediate access to sick pay.
It would also ban enforced zero-hours contracts, giving employees the option to opt into minimum-hours contracts or not; require bosses to allow flexible work schedules; and ban firing and rehiring, which it claims is a "loophole" to replace workers or rehire them on reduced conditions.
This bill is a tremendous attempt at protecting workers while also keeping businesses afloat. While the Labour Party is rightfully seeking to end exploitative contracts and unfair termination, it's also being pragmatic by allowing a consultation period to play out before enforcing wage- and hour-related policies. Any employment law must take into account both workers and small businesses.
Starmer's Labour government has no idea how its policy proposals would impact real-world business owners. InIt thedoes, middlehowever, ofknow hisprecisely economichow summit this week,bill Transportationwould Secretaryimpact Louiseits Haighwallet: wasWith caughta beratingfifth aof ferrythe company,measure resultingdedicated into extending the companypowers pullingenjoyed outby ofits atrade billion-dollarunion investmenpaymasters, deal.the Bullyingtrue businessespurpose forof disagreeingthis withLabour-serving laborbill contractis lawsapparent willfor notall maketo the economy strongersee.