Labor has vowed to change laws banning redundancies and rehiring after a war of words with trade unions who accuse them of watering down promises on workers’ rights.
The plans were revealed in a newly leaked document sent to trade unions ahead of a close meeting with Keir Starmer, which revealed workers’ rights such as employment status, protection from unfair dismissal and trade union representation. It includes a drastic plan to completely revise the system.
But Unite accused the party of “betrayal” and said significant changes to the wording on redundancy and rehiring, zero-hour contracts and the legislative scheme were “unrecognizable” from the original proposal. A number of trade union sources said there would be a “serious discussion” about the document at a meeting scheduled with Mr Starmer on Tuesday.
The leaked document warns that carrying out the overhaul will take time, and calls for “full and detailed consultation” on plans to define a single status of “worker” in law, as well as the provision of child care in the first year. It has promised to review holiday entitlements. He said time was needed to develop and implement a fair pay agreement for adult social care.
Labor said the party was “strengthening its proposals to deliver on its commitments”. A new pledge was added to make it easier for trade unions to be recognized in unsafe workplaces like Amazon warehouses, with the party pledging to change rules to make it easier to vote on industrial action. ing.
Key to the criticism from unions was changing the wording of the plan to stop firing and rehiring, removing a direct commitment to stop firing workers who refused a worse contract.
But Labor officials said they had no intention of breaking that commitment and that the party would legislate an employment rights bill to ban the practice within 100 days.
Firing and rehiring is the act of making an employee redundant and then rehiring him or her under worse conditions, often as a means of forcing the employee to agree to lower pay or worse conditions. Masu.
In a leaked document setting out the latest round of workers’ rights reforms, Labor says it will “replace the inadequate legislation introduced by the government with a strengthened code of conduct and provide effective remedies for abuse. We will amend the law.” ”
However, the document also states that “if there are truly no alternatives, significant companies may reorganize to maintain their survival.”of Original new transaction document The bill, launched by deputy leader Angela Reiner, says Labor will “adapt unfair dismissal and redundancy laws to prevent workers from being sacked for refusing to agree to a worse contract”. Ta.
Labor strongly denied changing its position. “Labour will introduce legislation to ban redundancies and rehires, as well as redundancies and substitutions, through an employment rights bill to be tabled in Parliament within the first 100 days of government,” a spokesperson said.
The union will also demand clarification on the ban on zero-hour contracts, which the document describes as “the right to switch to a contract reflecting the number of hours worked on a regular basis, based on a 12-week reference period”. It is expected. The original Green document said: “Labour bans zero-hour contracts and contracts with no guaranteed minimum hours.”
Party officials said employers will be required to actively offer new contracts after 12 weeks. Unite, fire brigade unions and other small unions have warned that the loophole could be exploited by unscrupulous employers.
The document also introduces new rights, such as the ‘right to switch off’, in the form of a best practice model, in contrast to the original text which stated that ‘workers have a new right to leave work outside working hours’. It also suggests that it will be done.
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The proposed new right to home surveillance also underwent subtle changes. Initially, the party proposed “introducing new rights to protect workers from remote monitoring”. The document now proposes that any plans be subject to consultation with trade unions.
Union officials said they would review the document “line by line” with the Labor leadership next week. FBU general secretary Matt Luck previously said any cuts to the scheme would have “dire consequences”.
On Wednesday, Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham said the document Labor had received outlining the final proposals was “one setback after another” and was “completely unrecognizable from the original proposals drawn up with the unions”. added. Unrecognized. The workers will see through this and mark this setback after setback as a betrayal.
“This new document turns what was a truly new agreement for workers into a charter for bad bosses,” she said. “The truth is that this new document is not worth discussing. All trade unions must now demand that Labor change course and put the original new deal for workers back on the table. ”
A Labor Party spokesperson said: “Labour’s new deal for workers is at the heart of our mission to grow the UK economy and improve living standards across the country.” A Labor government needs to hit the ground running, so we have stepped up our proposals to deliver on our commitments.
“If elected, I will submit a bill within 100 days of taking office.”
The document will give workers the right to sick pay and parental leave from day one, protect against unfair dismissal, introduce carer and bereavement leave, and change minimum wage rules to reflect the average cost of living. is promised.
According to the document, the party will require all workers, including precarious workers, to organize trade unions and amend trade union laws to remove “unnecessary restrictions” and allow electronic voting for strike action. It provides the right to do so. It will also create a single enforcement oversight body and ease access to employment tribunals.
