Labour Government Ratifies Major Employment Rights Law, Implementation Expected Before Christmas
Lord Sharpe, the Shadow Minister for Business and Trade, introduced an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill during the final stage of parliamentary debate in the House of Lords. However, he withdrew the amendment after a brief discussion, removing the final hurdle for the legislation of the bill.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said he was “delighted” that the bill had passed through the House of Lords. “This landmark legislation, which will soon be operational, will bring Britain’s outdated labor laws into the 21st century and provide millions of workers with dignity and recognition in their workplace,” he added.
Most of the bill’s provisions will require secondary legislation before coming into force. The government described the bill, which applies to England, Scotland, and Wales but not Northern Ireland, as the “biggest upgrade to labor rights in a generation.”
The bill will grant workers access to sick pay and injury leave from the first day of employment, and includes new protections for pregnant women and new mothers. In November, the Labour government abandoned its plan to grant all workers the right to claim unfair dismissal from the first day of work. However, the government will introduce increased protection after six months of employment, which is a significant element in the bill. It is expected to receive Royal Assent this week.
Unite union leader Sharon Graham said the bill must now be implemented “without any further delay.” “Labour must stop whispering these new laws for workers. The bill has already been patched up, not least in its failure to ban zero-hours and variable contracts,” she added.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said it was a “historic day and an early Christmas present for workers across the country.” “Workers will finally enjoy more security, better pay, and recognition at work thanks to this bill,” he said, echoing Unite’s calls for legislation to be enacted “swiftly.”
However, the Conservative Party said it was “farcical for Labour to ratify its faltering labor law on the same day official reports confirmed that unemployment has risen every month during the government’s time in office.” This was in reference to reports published Tuesday showing that UK unemployment rose to 5.1% in the three months to October, up from 4.3% the previous year.
Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith said: “This law will add costs to small businesses, increase hiring freezes, and leave young jobseekers paying the price for Labour’s capitulation to their union paymasters.”
In a joint statement last week, before the deadlock ended, business groups, including the British Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses, noted their continued concern over some of the changes proposed in the bill. However, they stated that maintaining the six-month qualifying period for unfair dismissal means the bill should be implemented as it currently stands.
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