[UK] Employment Rights Bill passed by House of Lords

The House of Lords has passed the UK’s Employment Rights Bill. Last week, Conservative and cross-bench peers defeated the government over one aspect of the bill. A last-minute addition lifting the cap on compensation paid to people who win a case for unfair dismissal. However, that defeat was overturned on December 15, and the following afternoon, peers debated the bill again, The Guardian reports.

On this occasion the Conservatives and cross-benchers dropped their opposition to the measure, and the bill, as agreed by the House of Commons, was approved without a division, meaning it will get royal assent very shortly.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom - the Conservative spokesperson - reportedly told peers that a letter from business groups released by the government on December 15, in which the business groups urged peers to pass the bill, showed that ministers had “misrepresented” the compromise deal unveiled last month.

Under the deal, negotiated with business and unions, the government agreed to remove day one protection from unfair dismissal from the bill, replacing it with protection coming in after six months; a win for business.

In return, it was agreed to lift the cap on unfair dismissal payments - a win for unions - but, according to The Guardian, there was some initial confusion about what had actually been agreed.

Currently, the cap on compensation payments is either 52 weeks’ pay or £118,223, whichever figure is lower. Lord Sharpe said the two sides agreed to remove the 52 weeks’ pay part of the formula, and instead have a slightly higher monetary cap. Instead, when the compromise deal was written into the bill, the cap was removed in its entirety.

Paul Nowak - general secretary of the TUC - welcomed the deal saying, “This is an historic day and early Christmas present for working people across the country, and the trade unions who represent them.

“Banning exploitative zero-hours contracts, sick pay for all, expanding parental and bereavement leave, strengthening protections for pregnant women, whistleblowers and victims of sexual harassment, repealing Tory anti-union laws, ensuring union access to workplaces, establishing a social care fair pay agreement – these are just some of the watershed measures this bill will now deliver.”

Source: The Guardian

(Link and quote via original reporting)

The House of Lords has passed the UK’s Employment Rights Bill. Last week, Conservative and cross-bench peers defeated the government over one aspect of the bill. A last-minute addition lifting the cap on compensation paid to people who win a case for unfair dismissal. However, that defeat was overturned on December 15, and the following afternoon, peers debated the bill again, The Guardian reports.

On this occasion the Conservatives and cross-benchers dropped their opposition to the measure, and the bill, as agreed by the House of Commons, was approved without a division, meaning it will get royal assent very shortly.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom - the Conservative spokesperson - reportedly told peers that a letter from business groups released by the government on December 15, in which the business groups urged peers to pass the bill, showed that ministers had “misrepresented” the compromise deal unveiled last month.

Under the deal, negotiated with business and unions, the government agreed to remove day one protection from unfair dismissal from the bill, replacing it with protection coming in after six months; a win for business.

In return, it was agreed to lift the cap on unfair dismissal payments - a win for unions - but, according to The Guardian, there was some initial confusion about what had actually been agreed.

Currently, the cap on compensation payments is either 52 weeks’ pay or £118,223, whichever figure is lower. Lord Sharpe said the two sides agreed to remove the 52 weeks’ pay part of the formula, and instead have a slightly higher monetary cap. Instead, when the compromise deal was written into the bill, the cap was removed in its entirety.

Paul Nowak - general secretary of the TUC - welcomed the deal saying, “This is an historic day and early Christmas present for working people across the country, and the trade unions who represent them.

“Banning exploitative zero-hours contracts, sick pay for all, expanding parental and bereavement leave, strengthening protections for pregnant women, whistleblowers and victims of sexual harassment, repealing Tory anti-union laws, ensuring union access to workplaces, establishing a social care fair pay agreement – these are just some of the watershed measures this bill will now deliver.”

Source: The Guardian

(Link and quote via original reporting)