Fact Service July 2021

Issue 30

Labour promises day one workers’ rights

Workers should be given full employment rights from their first day in a job, the Labour party has said, as it announced plans to give all workers security at work by creating a single status of “worker” for all but the genuinely self-employed. The new status would replace three existing employment categories and remove qualifying periods for basic rights and protections to give workers day one rights, the party said.

The party also stated that, as part of its intention to end insecure employment, all workers would receive rights and protections including Statutory Sick Pay, National Minimum Wage entitlement, holiday pay, paid parental leave, and protection against unfair dismissal.

Andy McDonald, Labour’s shadow employment rights and protections secretary, commented: “Millions of workers are in insecure employment with low pay and few rights and protections.

“A lack of basic rights and protections forces working people into poverty and insecurity. This is terrible for working people, damaging for the economy, and as we have seen throughout the pandemic, devastating for public health.

“We need a new deal for working people.”

https://labourlist.org/2021/07/labour-is-launching-a-new-campaign-to-make-britain-the-best-place-to-work