Skip to main content

A Bill that falls short of the bold action we need

A Bill that falls short of the bold action we need
The Employment Rights Bill is a vital opportunity to rebalance power between workers and employers. As it passes to the Lords, pressure must be brought to bear to strengthen this key legislation, argues ANDY McDONALD MP

FOR decades, workers in Britain have faced a steady erosion of their rights, job security and real wages.

The objective of the Employment Rights Bill, rightly heralded as the most significant expansion of workers’ rights in a generation, is to reverse this trend and improve working conditions.

However, its passage through Parliament highlighted just how significant the gaps in employment law and trade union legislation have developed over the decades and have so limited the effectiveness of unions in their task of fully defending their members.

Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
Features / 6 April 2024
6 April 2024
Labour's New Deal for Working People is central to combating in-work poverty and ensuring fair treatment for all — it’s a flagship policy that has the potential to be transformative to workers' lives, writes ANDY McDONALD MP
Features / 9 December 2023
9 December 2023
Middlesbrough MP ANDY McDONALD on why unions must press Labour for a comprehensive new deal for workers
Features / 2 September 2023
2 September 2023
ANDY McDONALD MP says there's still a great deal to welcome in Labour's planned reforms to workers' rights, but calls for clarity on some key issues
Similar stories
Features / 11 October 2024
11 October 2024
Labour’s long-awaited Employment Rights Bill does not do nearly enough to remove the restraints on trade unions or to give them the powers they need to make a significant difference to the lives of the millions of workers, write KEITH EWING and Lord JOHN HENDY KC
Britain / 10 October 2024
10 October 2024
Unite's Sharon Graham says the Bill fails to end zero-hours contracts and fire-and-rehire