This week will see the landmark Employment Rights Act come into force, an important part of the government’s Plan to Make Work Pay and improve the lives of working people. Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols has welcomed these changes and praised them as a win for Warrington’s workers.
The Act was developed in close collaboration with business and trade unions and will help bring our employment rights legislation into the 21st century, extending modern protections to millions more workers.
14 years of Conservative chaos saw pay flatline and work become more insecure. Labour has started to turn the page with a plan to raise wages and grow the economy.
Key aspects of the Employment Rights Act include:
• Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay by ending the three day wait without pay, allowing you to claim sick pay from your first day off sick.
• Cracking down on exploitative zero-hours contracts by introducing a new right to minimum hours, reasonable notice of any changes i1n shifts and fair compensation for cancelled or curtailed shifts.
• Strengthening protections against ‘fire and rehire’ practices – making it harder for bad employers to threaten to fire you if you don’t accept cuts in pay or conditions.
• Making existing rights to Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental leave available from ‘Day 1’ of employment – making work more family friendly and putting families first from Day 1.
• Introducing a new right to unpaid bereavement leave, including unpaid bereavement leave for pregnancy loss (before 24 weeks) – allowing employees to take leave from work to grieve the loss of a loved one when it matters most.
• Strengthening protections for whistleblowers – so workers can tell the truth without fear and call out sexual harassment where they see it.
• Modernising trade union legislation by giving trade unions greater freedom to organise, represent and negotiate on behalf of their workers – because winning better pay and conditions starts with union recognition.
• Launching the new Fair Work Agency to bring together existing enforcement agencies – ensuring workers’ rights and protections are properly enforced.
Alongside this, the government is also raising the National Living Wage to £12.71 per hour, benefitting 2.4 million of the lowest paid workers with a £900 pay rise.
200,000 young workers across the country will also benefit from a rise in the National Minimum Wage rising to £10.85 per hour, a £1,500 pay rise.
There is still much more to do to ensure that these new policies are enforced properly and that Labour delivers on the promises it made at the last election.
Charlotte Nichols, MP for Warrington North, said:
“This is the biggest uplift in employment rights in a generation. This is a clear win for Warrington’s workers, too many of whom are struggling in insecure, low-paid jobs.
“From my own experience of working for a trade union, I know that these changes will mean that workers receive better pay and fairer conditions. Here in Warrington, and across the country, this will raise living standards, grow the economy and create opportunities. I want the UK to be a high wage, high skills, high standards country.
“These changes were developed in collaboration with businesses and trade unions, ensuring that they are both firmly pro-worker and pro-business. We are fortunate to have high quality employers in Warrington who treat their staff well, and they will also benefit from these laws.
“I am proud of the work my colleagues and I have put in to deliver for our constituents. After years of lobbying, debating and scrutiny, these changes are finally coming into force.
“When it comes to tackling bad employers and unfair practices, Labour is clearly on the side of workers.”
