A union boss has warned Sir Keir Starmer against watering down Labour’s workers’ rights overhaul after Angela Rayner’s resignation. The Employment Rights Bill, which is in its final parliamentary stages, was championed by the former deputy prime minister, who quit in a row over her tax affairs.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham warned the Prime Minister not to weaken the proposed legislation. She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What I hope is not going on is that the Government are looking to water down the employment rights bill.
“They made a promise to the British people this was a central part of what they promised that they would make work pay.
“Already prior to this reshuffle we were already seeing fire and rehire watered down, a zero hour contracts ban watered down, councils being allowed to fire and rehire added.
“Therefore the mood music wasn’t looking too good and what I do hope is that they don’t intend now on slowing this down or indeed scrapping some parts of it altogether.”
Ms Rayner’s resignation prompted a reshuffle which also led to the exit of Justin Madders as employment rights minister.
Their departures have raised concerns among some union leaders.
But Labour minister Luke Pollard today insisted the Government is not rowing back on workers’ rights.
He told Times Radio: “Any change that we put in will only be to strengthen workers’ rights, to make sure they can be implemented more effectively. But we’re not rowing back on this. Let me be absolutely clear on this.
“The Prime Minister is committed to this huge increase, the biggest upgrade in workers’ rights for a generation. It was in our manifesto. We’re passionate about doing so.
“And we know that when we do this, it will back those good employers that are already doing this at the moment, and it will target those bad employers that aren’t treating their workforces correctly.”