Britain’s approach to workers’ rights has been stuck in the past for too long. Labour’s plans can bring the law into the modern era
Labour’s general election manifesto said the government would introduce its workers’ rights package within its first 100 days. On Thursday, on day 97, it fulfilled that promise. Parliament will debate the newly published employment rights bill on Monday week. Even so, this is only one stage in a longer workplace reform journey taking more than one parliamentary session. Many of the government’s decisions about changes to the world of work remain to be nailed down and are not part of the bill at all.
It is easy to caricature the new legislation, and too many are doing so. The Conservatives dismiss it all as rewards to Labour’s trade union paymasters. But the Unite union says the plan is full of holes. The Federation of Small Businesses says the plans are rushed and chaotic. But the British Chambers of Commerce says the government is listening and responsive. The Daily Mail reports business fury. A leading legal publication says the package strikes positive notes with lawyers.
This can all sometimes lead to a sterile, zero-sum debate on work issues. But the larger truth is that this is a bill about change. Employment law has not kept pace with developments in the worlds of work, family and business. The reality is that a fresh approach, centred on the work issues of today and tomorrow rather than those of the past, is long overdue.
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