Community Union welcome Angela Rayner’s excellent speech to TUC Congress today, which outlined the Labour Party’s renewed commitments to improving employment rights as for British workers.
In her speech to trade unionists gathered in Liverpool today, the Labour Deputy Leader set out a tranche of measures which will form part of the party’s ‘New Deal for Working People’. These include:
- the gradual return of collective bargaining through sectorial Fair Pay Agreements
- banning firms from blacklisting union workers
- banning fire and rehire
- ensuring day 1 access to basic rights – such as sick pay, parental leave, and protection against unfair dismissal – for all employees
- ending the use of exploitative zero hours contracts
- repealing Conservative anti-union legislation passed by the Cameron and Sunak governments
- enshrining in law the right for employees to ‘switch off’ from employers outside working hours
Responding to the speech, Kate Dearden, Head of Research, Policy and External Relations at Community Union, said:
“Angela Rayner’s excellent speech today set out in practical terms how a Labour government would turn the page on thirteen years of national decline; an era which has been defined by the deliberate erosion of workers’ rights under successive Conservative administrations.“The pledges set out today have transformational potential, and will be welcomed by Community members working across a range of different sectors.“It’s been clear for some time now that Britain needs a government that will work alongside rather than against trade unions to help build an economy and society fit for the future. Community looks forward to working in partnership with Labour to deliver real change for our members.”
"Labour will introduce a new deal for workers within the first 100 days of entering office.
That's a cast iron commitment"
– @AngelaRayner to #TUC23 pic.twitter.com/f11ZN78x7j
— Trades Union Congress (@The_TUC) September 12, 2023