Peers who are out of sync with voters are being criticized for favoring employers over workers by attempting to weaken proposed reforms to labor rights, according to the TUC leader. Paul Nowak, the General Secretary of the TUC, has accused members of the Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties in the House of Lords of stalling the progress of the Employment Rights Bill by proposing changes that would dilute safeguards for millions of workers.
The Bill, set to be revisited by the House of Lords on Tuesday, aims to outlaw exploitative zero-hours contracts, grant workers the entitlement to compensation for canceled shifts, and prohibit unjust dismissals from day one of employment. However, its advancement is being hindered by amendments put forth by Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers, one of which could create a loophole allowing employers to refrain from offering guaranteed hours contracts to their staff.
Another proposed amendment seeks to impose a six-month qualifying period before workers can be shielded from unfair termination. Analysis conducted by the TUC indicates that over 2 million employees would lose the protection against unjust dismissals if these amendments are approved.
In response, Mr. Nowak stated, “Supporting the continuation of zero-hours contracts and denying protection from unfair dismissals to 2 million workers demonstrates that Conservative and Liberal Democrat Lords are aligning themselves with unscrupulous employers.” He emphasized, “Eliminating zero-hours contracts and safeguarding workers from unfair dismissals are fundamental safeguards that the majority of individuals, including supporters of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, want to see enacted as legislation.”
He further expressed, “It is no surprise that Conservative peers are voting against the best interests of workers. However, peers from the opposition factions should be cautious about appearing disconnected and actively opposing the views of their own backers and the public at large. It is time for them to step aside so that the government can implement new rights for millions of workers.”
These developments follow a comprehensive survey by Hope Not Hate, which revealed that 71% of respondents, including 64% of Conservative supporters and 74% of Liberal Democrat followers, endorse the protection of workers from unjust dismissal starting from day one of employment. Additionally, nearly 8 in 10 individuals (78%) support a regulation to compel employers to offer zero-hours contract workers a guaranteed-hours contract after a 12-week period, a proposal backed by 72% of Conservative voters and 79% of Liberal Democrat supporters.
