Rayner says Labour must not ‘blink or buckle’ any more on workers’ rights as she defends compromise plan – UK politics live
Former deputy PM addresses Commons as MPs back deal to allow protection from unfair dismissal to start after six months of employmentGood morning. Last night the employment rights bill became...
By Andrew Sparrow · The Guardian World
Former deputy PM addresses Commons as MPs back deal to allow protection from unfair dismissal to start after six months of employment Good morning. Last night the employment rights bill became closer to becoming law. MPs voted out the anti-government amendments passed by the House of Lords. But they also voted to include the compromise deal negotiated in talks involving unions and business: protection from unfair dismissal starting after six months, not from day one as originally planned , and alongside that the cap lifted on compensation payments for unfair dismissal . These concessions are expected to result in peers approving the bill when they next debate it tomorrow, clearing the way for royal assent soon afterwards. The legislation will significantly strengthen workers’ rights , particularly by giving people the right to sick pay from day one and giving workers on zero-hour contract the right to guaranteed hours. We have a mandate for a new deal for working people, and we must and will deliver it. That includes replacing exploitative zero-hour contracts with an offer of guaranteed hours. For low-paid workers, the security of knowing what they will earn is not just a “nice to have”; it is the basis on which they can plan their lives. It has been a battle to pass this bill, but progress is always a struggle that we fight for. Its passage will be a historic achievement for this Labour government. It will benefit working people now and in the future. Now is not the time to blink or buckle. Let us not waste a minute more. It is time to deliver. Continue reading...