Workers' rights Bill like Swiss cheese, says union

Labour's new workers' rights legislation is under fire, with one union boss claiming the proposal has "more holes than Swiss cheese".

- MILLIE COOKE

While others have hailed the Employment Rights Bill as bringing a “seismic shift” for workers, Sir Keir Starmer has still been urged to go further in his bid to shift the balance of power between employers and employees.

The legislation has been described by Labour as the biggest upgrade in employment rights for a generation and was published on Thursday. It will include plans to ban exploitative zero-hours contracts and “unscrupulous” fire and rehire practices which it said will benefit millions of workers.

Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, said: “This is a proworker, pro-business plan. The government will tackle head-on the issues within the UK labour market that are holding Britain back.

Unite has responded most critically to the legislation, accusing the government of tying itself “up in knots trying to avoid what was promised”.

General secretary Sharon Graham said: “This Bill is without doubt a significant step forward for workers but stops short of making work pay.

“The end to draconian laws like Minimum Service Levels and the introduction of new individual rights, for example on bereavement leave, will be beneficial. But the Bill still ties itself up in knots trying to avoid what was promised.

“Failure to end fire and rehire and zero-hours contracts once and for all will leave more holes than Swiss cheese that hostile employers will use.”