'Changes will benefit millions': Kate Osborne lauds the impact of Employment Rights Bill

FOR far too long, people at work have faced low pay and inadequate protections, the Conservatives spent the last 14 years making working people's lives harder.

During the General Election campaign, Labour promised to introduce the biggest boost to workers’ rights in a generation and we are delivering on that promise in Parliament.

This week I voted for Labour’s groundbreaking piece of legislation that will improve living standards, create jobs, increase investment and most important of all, improve the lives of working people.

The Employment Rights Bill will reshape the workplace and put power where it belongs - with working people. This New Deal for Working People will be the biggest uplift to workers' rights for a generation - and it is not just supported by workers - 83% of managers agree that improving workers’ rights can boost workplace productivity.

The Bill will bring forward over 30 reforms including, day one rights of employment, protection from Unfair Dismissal, entitlement to Paternity Leave, Unpaid Parental Leave, Bereavement Leave and making Flexible Working the default.

It will ban exploitative zero-hours, abolish the scourge of fire and rehire and establish a Fair Work Agency and improve pay negotiation forums, it will increase protection from sexual harassment, introduce Equality Menopause Action Plans and strengthen rights for pregnant workers, strengthen Statutory Sick Pay and much more.

These changes will benefit millions, over one million people on zero-hours contracts will benefit from the guaranteed hours policy -  nine million people will benefit from the Day One Unfair Dismissal policy. 1.1 million employees did not get any of the paid holiday they were entitled to last year and they will benefit from the new Fair Work Agency enforcing holiday pay for the first time. 

After 14 years of Tory rule, this is exactly the type of change our country needs, for years, the good secure jobs that our parents and our grandparents could build a life on were replaced by low pay and insecure work which symbolised life under a Tory Government - now Labour have given people back hope that employment will enrich their lives.

This week I was delighted to welcome Employment Minister Alison McGovern to the Jarrow and Gateshead East constituency to discuss the proud history of our area and what our area can offer – and how a Labour Government can make a difference to businesses and workers after years of Tory incompetence and mismanagement. 

As well as strengthening workers' rights our Labour Government is bringing investment to the North and it was brilliant to have the Minister in Jarrow talking about our history, the march for jobs and the current challenges for employment in the North East.

The Minister and I had a tour of our wonderful constituency, visited A&P Tyne to talk about investment and growth and meet their apprentices, had a brilliant tour of the wonderful Ellen Wilkinson collection at South Shields Museum and had detailed discussions at the Job Centre.

The Labour Party has always championed workers’ rights and this Government has wasted no time in driving forward this landmark change.

This is one of the biggest changes but it is by no means the only thing that our Labour Government are delivering, just this week we have launched a new Independent Water Commission that will strengthen regulation and reform the water sector - we are committed to cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas.

We have launched a ten-year plan to rebuild our NHS to ensure we have a health service that delivers for generations to come - and we have launched a national conversation about the NHS - we want your views and you can submit them at change.nhs.uk  

We kickstarted plans for 3,000 school-based nurseries, announced plans for legislation to regulate the buy now pay later sector that is preying on the lowest paid and most vulnerable and as I set out in my last column have protected renters with the Renters (Reform) Bill.

Next week we will have our first Labour Budget and the difficult task of dealing with the chaos and the financial black hole the Tories left us with. In their last year, they gave up trying to set realistic budgets or governing in any way shape or form and now we have to deal with it. 

We won’t be able to fix everything overnight but we have made a huge start in rebuilding our country. A lot of hard work lies ahead but this Labour Government is determined to turn the tide for working people and our communities.

As always if anyone needs any help or wants to raise any issue, or discuss any concerns or queries you may have then please do contact my office on 0191 4661509 or email [email protected].