Britain’s largest trade unions have urged Labour to stick firmly to its flagship Employment Rights Bill, warning that any watering down of the legislation would provoke fierce opposition from the labour movement.
The bill, due to pass into law in the coming weeks, has been described as the most significant reform of workplace rights in decades. It promises protections against unfair dismissal, the banning of exploitative zero-hours contracts, and wider measures designed to strengthen workers’ bargaining power.
However, trade union leaders raised concerns at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Brighton after last week’s cabinet reshuffle removed some of the bill’s strongest backers. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and employment minister Justin Madders, both vocal supporters of the reforms, were moved out of government.
Christina McAnea, general secretary of Unison, said the changes sent an unsettling signal. “It doesn’t send out a very good message that the people who were absolutely committed to driving through the Employment Rights Bill are no longer doing those jobs,” she told the BBC. Calling the bill a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to tilt the balance in favour of employees, McAnea warned: “Any attempt to pull back would be a huge mistake. Unions will furiously campaign against it. We are expecting a clear timetable, and if that doesn’t happen, there will be some very unhappy trade union leaders around — including me.”
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, struck a similar note but insisted he remained confident Labour would follow through. “This bill will give a massive boost to rights for millions of working people in insecure, low-paid employment,” he said. “My message to the government is simple: stay on course, deliver the Employment Rights Bill, and deliver it in full.”
The USDAW union, representing more than 300,000 retail and warehouse workers, expressed particular alarm at an amendment inserted by the House of Lords in July. The change would downgrade the requirement for employers to offer guaranteed hours to a weaker right for staff merely to request them — a shift USDAW argues would leave zero-hours contracts effectively intact.
While unions demand stronger protections, business groups have voiced alarm at the scope of the legislation. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said many smaller firms feel overwhelmed. “In some of our recent polling, 92% of small employers said they were worried about this legislation,” said Craig Beaumont, FSB policy director. “They don’t have HR teams and they feel overwhelmed by the scale of change.” He suggested the reshuffle created “a chance to fix the issues” and strike a compromise.
The Employment Rights Bill was a central Labour election pledge, intended to solidify support among working people. But with the economy under strain, some MPs fear the government could delay or soften implementation to reassure business leaders.
For unions, however, the message is clear: retreat is not an option. With expectations high, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer now faces a delicate balancing act — reassuring employers while proving Labour is serious about delivering stronger workplace rights.
