Union chiefs warn Labour not to water down workers’ rights after Rayner departure

Trade unions are calling on Labour to demonstrate their commitment to workers’ rights following last week’s cabinet reshuffle. They want the ensure that the government follows through on the in-progress Employment Rights Bill without watering it down further.

The demands come after Angela Rayner, a champion of the bill from the off, resigned last week over unpaid stamp duty on her second home. Then, during the subsequent cabinet reshuffle, Starmer bumped Johnathan Reynolds – also a key supporter of the new legislation – down from business secretary to chief whip.

Unison: ‘We will do everything we can’

Now, trade union leaders fear that progress on this advancement for worker’s rights will stall. An unnamed Labour MP told the BBC:

Many Labour colleagues fear that with the economy under strain, ministers may be tempted to drag their feet on implementation as an olive branch to business.

Unison general Christina McAnea said that:

It doesn’t send out a very good message that the people who were absolutely committed to driving through the Employment Rights Bill are no longer doing those jobs.

She also called the bill an opportunity to “shift the dial” in favour of the workers, and warned that:

We will do everything we can to make sure this is not watered down.

TUC: ‘People voted for change’

Meanwhile, Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Paul Nowak also made similar statements ahead of his annual conference, which started 7 September. He highlighted that people aren’t feeling the benefits of Labour’s actions:

People voted for change – that was the one word that was on the front of the manifesto. I think, for a lot of people, change still feels like a slogan rather than the lived reality.

He praised Labour’s industrial strategy, and the party’s investment in public services and infrastructure. But that came with a major caveat:

But I think it is fair to say, for a lot of people, they haven’t felt the change in their pockets and they haven’t seen the change in their public services – and I think there’s a real danger at this point where people could get disillusioned with mainstream politics.

The year 2025 had to be the year of delivery for the government, and I think at this Congress, we’re going to send the message that every decision the government takes going forward, it must show it’s on the side of working people, their families and communities.

The TUC chief said that he’s “confident but not complacent” that the Employment Rights Bill will pass. He also called out the Lords who are attempting to neuter the legislation, and urged Labour to defend it:

It’s a really important period between now and Royal Assent that the government does push back on those unelected peers, in some cases hereditary peers, voting against improvements in workers’ rights for millions of people.

Unite: ‘A burned-out husk’ from Labour

Likewise, Unite issued a press release on 7 September blasting concessions on workers’ rights that Labour has already made. In particular, July amendments to the bill significantly weakened the proposed ban on fire and rehire practices.

Now, local government may fire and rehire so long as a Section 114 notice is issued by the local council. Similarly, a public sector employer will be permitted to do the same provided an accounting officer claims it’s struggling to carry out its duties. The protections will also now apply solely to pay, hours and holidays. This leaves working conditions as fair game for exploitation by employers.

General secretary Sharon Graham pulled no punches:

Labour’s promise to ban fire and rehire is now a burnt-out shell. By amending the Employment Relations Bill to allow councils to use fire and rehire, has given them the green light to push down workers’ pay to cut debt. Yet again workers pay the price.

This along with the government’s reshuffle, taking out all ministers who have worked with unions on the Bill, signals a move in the wrong direction. Workers will feel duped when they realise the Bill is a paper tiger.

Unscrupulous employers will continue to exploit workers and the Bill will do little to combat that.

With the bill in its final stages and expected to become law in just a few weeks’ time, all union eyes are fixed on Labour. The party has a golden opportunity to demonstrate that its old commitments to workers’ rights aren’t a distant memory.

But with the likes of the Federation of Small Businesses complaining that as many as 92% of owners it polled are worried about the legislation, it would be easy for Labour to cop out in the name of ‘protecting enterprise’. If the amendments the government already allowed through are anything to go by, the bill’s timely passage in its current form is far from guaranteed.

However, the message from the UK’s top unions has been clear – this could be the final nail in Labour’s reputation as a party of the workers if it doesn’t stand up and stand firm.

Featured image via the Canary