Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has addressed concerns from trade union leaders regarding the party’s plans to strengthen workers’ rights. The issue arose after accusations that the party was watering down its promises in this area.
The Labour Party had originally announced a comprehensive overhaul of workers’ rights, including a ban on zero hours contracts, employment rights from day one, and an end to the practice of “fire and rehire”. This was seen as a major step forward for workers’ rights when it was first unveiled by deputy leader Angela Rayner in 2021.
However, some changes were made last summer, leading union bosses to claim that a new document circulated last week was an attempt to backtrack even further on these commitments. General secretary of the Unite union Sharon Graham called the undisclosed document a “betrayal” and stated that it was unrecognisable from the original plans.
In light of these tensions, Sir Keir, Rayner, and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves met with trade union leaders to discuss the matter. In a joint statement, they confirmed that the party remains fully committed to the new deal for working people as agreed upon in July. They also stated that they will continue to work together to determine how a Labour government would implement this deal through legislation.
There were concerns that the Labour leadership was bowing to pressure from big business ahead of the upcoming election. However, after a three-hour meeting at the party’s south London headquarters, Graham stated that Labour’s position had changed. She added that it was a “crunch meeting” and a “red line meeting”, but ultimately they were able to reaffirm their position and will reconvene in three weeks to discuss a new document.
The original new deal for working people had promised an “employment rights bill” to enact these changes within 100 days of taking office. However, it is now seen as unrealistic. Last summer, changes were made at the national policy forum, which Graham claimed was an attempt to “curry favour with big business”. It was reported by the Financial Times that the new draft included even more business-friendly language regarding fire and rehire, stating that businesses should be allowed to “restructure to remain viable and preserve their workforce when there is genuinely no alternative”.
There were also reports that zero hours contracts would not be completely banned, as some people choose to have them, but workers would be given rights to a contract reflecting their usual work pattern. Additionally, Labour has promised to introduce fair pay agreements for social care workers, which has been met with criticism from right-wing research group Policy Exchange, who claim it could add £225 to the average council tax bill.
This is not the first time the Labour Party has faced divisions within its ranks. The party recently scaled back its 2021 plans to invest £28 billion in green energy after a lengthy internal battle. Union leaders will be closely monitoring the party and holding them accountable to ensure that their promises on workers’ rights do not suffer the same fate. However, despite the positive outcome of the meeting, this is a dispute that has been delayed, and there is still more work to be done before the election.
