[UK] TUC demands an employment bill for workers

The TUC and campaigners have urged Conservative ministers to urgently boost workers’ rights in order to tackle insecure employment and the prevelance of zero-hours contracts across the UK, Morning Star reports.

Frances O’Grady - the union federation’s head - has joined with Zero Hours Justice founder Julian Richer and Living Wage Foundation director Katherine Chapman to urge the Prime Minister to introduce a long-delayed employment Bill into the Queen’s speech in May.

Boosting workers’ rights was an “urgent task” in 2019 when the legislation was first announced and the coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated the situation, the Prime Minister was told in their April 21 letter.

The letter reportedly cautions that a lack of promised action will leave the government “without an effective vehicle to make the necessary reforms to the workplace.”

This step follows reports that Tory ministers have dropped the Bill from their 2022-23 legislative agenda.

The TUC estimates that one in nine workers are in insecure work - the majority against their will - while the Living Wage Foundation warns that a third of workers are given less than a week’s notice of shifts.

Ms O’Grady said, “Time and time again, the Prime Minister said he would boost workers’ rights, but more than two years since the employment Bill was first promised, Boris Johnson has done nothing to show he is serious about upgrading workers’ rights.

“Working people can’t wait. One million workers are on zero-hour contracts, more than three million are in insecure work, and the size of the gig economy has almost tripled in the past five years.”

Action has “never been more urgent” following ferry operator P&O’s admission that it knowingly broke Britain’s timid employment laws when it suddenly sacked nearly 800 workers last month, Ms O’Grady said.

“No more excuses; it’s time for the employment Bill to end the scourge of insecure work and exploitative practices like zero-hour contracts,” she added.

Mr Richer said a “well-treated workforce is crucial” to the success of any business and Ms Chapman called for action from “both politicians and employers to ensure that workers are provided with stable and secure hours alongside a living wage.”

Labour has backed the call. Deputy leader Angela Rayner said, “Warm words on workers’ rights have been betrayed by this Prime Minister’s abject lack of leadership.

“Labour is on the side of working people and committed to taking real action to end exploitative, unscrupulous working practices.”

Ms Rayner pledged that the party would introduce an employment Bill within 100 days if it wins the next general election. She is also shadow secretary for the future of work.

The need for greater worker protections has been highlighted by a new survey which suggests that nearly one in five employers are likely to make staff redundancies over the next year.

The YouGov poll - commissioned by conciliation service Acas - found that 18 per cent of employers plan to let workers go. Larger businesses were shown to be three times more likely to cut jobs than their small- and medium-sized counterparts.

Susan Clews - Acas chief executive - said, “The impact of global events has seen some businesses facing difficult circumstances.

“Bosses [must] exhaust all possible alternatives to redundancies first, but if employers feel like they have no choice then they must follow the law or they could be subject to a costly legal process.”

Source: Morning Star

(Quotes via original reporting)

The TUC and campaigners have urged Conservative ministers to urgently boost workers’ rights in order to tackle insecure employment and the prevelance of zero-hours contracts across the UK, Morning Star reports.

Frances O’Grady - the union federation’s head - has joined with Zero Hours Justice founder Julian Richer and Living Wage Foundation director Katherine Chapman to urge the Prime Minister to introduce a long-delayed employment Bill into the Queen’s speech in May.

Boosting workers’ rights was an “urgent task” in 2019 when the legislation was first announced and the coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated the situation, the Prime Minister was told in their April 21 letter.

The letter reportedly cautions that a lack of promised action will leave the government “without an effective vehicle to make the necessary reforms to the workplace.”

This step follows reports that Tory ministers have dropped the Bill from their 2022-23 legislative agenda.

The TUC estimates that one in nine workers are in insecure work - the majority against their will - while the Living Wage Foundation warns that a third of workers are given less than a week’s notice of shifts.

Ms O’Grady said, “Time and time again, the Prime Minister said he would boost workers’ rights, but more than two years since the employment Bill was first promised, Boris Johnson has done nothing to show he is serious about upgrading workers’ rights.

“Working people can’t wait. One million workers are on zero-hour contracts, more than three million are in insecure work, and the size of the gig economy has almost tripled in the past five years.”

Action has “never been more urgent” following ferry operator P&O’s admission that it knowingly broke Britain’s timid employment laws when it suddenly sacked nearly 800 workers last month, Ms O’Grady said.

“No more excuses; it’s time for the employment Bill to end the scourge of insecure work and exploitative practices like zero-hour contracts,” she added.

Mr Richer said a “well-treated workforce is crucial” to the success of any business and Ms Chapman called for action from “both politicians and employers to ensure that workers are provided with stable and secure hours alongside a living wage.”

Labour has backed the call. Deputy leader Angela Rayner said, “Warm words on workers’ rights have been betrayed by this Prime Minister’s abject lack of leadership.

“Labour is on the side of working people and committed to taking real action to end exploitative, unscrupulous working practices.”

Ms Rayner pledged that the party would introduce an employment Bill within 100 days if it wins the next general election. She is also shadow secretary for the future of work.

The need for greater worker protections has been highlighted by a new survey which suggests that nearly one in five employers are likely to make staff redundancies over the next year.

The YouGov poll - commissioned by conciliation service Acas - found that 18 per cent of employers plan to let workers go. Larger businesses were shown to be three times more likely to cut jobs than their small- and medium-sized counterparts.

Susan Clews - Acas chief executive - said, “The impact of global events has seen some businesses facing difficult circumstances.

“Bosses [must] exhaust all possible alternatives to redundancies first, but if employers feel like they have no choice then they must follow the law or they could be subject to a costly legal process.”

Source: Morning Star

(Quotes via original reporting)