Labour is seeking to protect workers’ employment rights from being abolished as part of ministers’ controversial retained EU law bill by forcing a Commons vote on the topic on Wednesday.

The party fears basic rights, including maternity protections and holiday entitlement, could be swept away under the government’s plans to “sunset” 4,000 laws derived from Brussels by the end of this year.

The bill, which returns to the Commons on Thursday, revokes all EU law that is not proactively adopted by the government.

A number of senior Conservative MPs have hit out at Rishi Sunak’s attempt to press ahead with the bill and have backed an amendment designed to give MPs greater oversight on the scrapping of thousands of EU laws.

They include: the leading Brexiter David Davis; the former justice secretary Robert Buckland; Caroline Nokes, chair of the Commons women and equalities committee; and Sir Bob Neill, chair of the justice committee.

The Labour MP Stella Creasy, who is leading the amendment and is chair of the Labour Movement for Europe, told the Guardian: “The consequences of accidentally deleting laws that affect people’s lives are huge. This bill represents a massive opportunity for a cock up, as a minister will hit the delete button on something they wouldn’t realise they have deleted.

“It’s nothing to do with Brexit, otherwise Brexiteers wouldn’t support the amendments we’re proposing. Deleting everything and giving ministers the powers to do this is not taking back...

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