As it stands, the Employment Rights Bill will not pay for work: Unite

Unite is one of the UK’s largest unions and has stated that the Employment Rights Bill does not go far enough to make work pay.

Unite said that the Bill included some positive changes, including new rights for individuals and the repeal of “unjust laws” such as the Minimum Service Levels Act. However, it claimed that ministers failed to prohibit zero-hours contracts or fire and rehire.

Unite, along with Unison has one of the biggest memberships in the UK. It also expressed concern about the watering down rules that allow workers to access trade unions. The unions stated that they believed the best way to ensure work is paid fairly was to expand collective bargaining. This would result in a 2.8% increase in GDP, by encouraging workers spend more money in their local community.

Sharon Graham of Unite was notably more positive about the Bill when she spoke with Unison’s leader.

Unite’s general secretary, while welcoming the Bill, was quick to express his disappointment. She said: This Bill is without a doubt a significant leap forward for workers, but it stops short of making their work pay.

“The elimination of draconian laws such as Minimum Service Levels, and the introduction new rights for individuals, like bereavement leaves, will be beneficial. The Bill is still trying to get around what was promised. If we don’t end zero-hours and fire and rehire contracts, hostile employers can use them to exploit the holes.

The Bill fails to provide workers with meaningful rights for accessing a union to bargain over pay, which would allow them to put more money into their pockets, and in turn, aid in growth.

Christina McAnea, general secretary of Unison said: “At long last, the lives of millions employees in the UK are set to improve. The Bill is a foundation for a better future for all workers.

“There will be better protection and family-friendly jobs from the very first day of employment. The bad bosses will not be able exploit employees at whim by using dodgy “fire and rehire” tactics. Unions will be able to provide support to all workers.

The ability to create a fair-pay agreement in England to raise wages for care workers is a game changer. This is a historic first step in transforming a neglected sector. The outcome will be a game changer for people in need of care, and their families.

The two-tiered workforce will no longer exist, as penny-pinching companies won’t be able to treat their outsourced workers any less favorably than the rest of the workforce.

“A new group to negotiate the pay of school support staff would bring much-needed relief for the mostly female, low-paid workforce. It would also attract recruits for roles that are currently difficult to fill.

The bill is a major change in industrial relations, after years of deteriorating worker’s rights and unwarranted hostility toward unions. The bill will stop workers from being penalized for striking and bring union voting into the digital age.

She admitted that there was still much to do. The government has kept its promise to revamp working life. This is a major achievement in less 100 days.

While he struck a more positive tone, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak also mentioned the incomplete nature of the proposals. “While there are still details to be worked out, this bill indicates a seismic change away from the Tories’ low-paying, low rights, low productivity economy.”

Michael Powner, a partner in Charles Russell Speechlys, also noticed the caution of the Bill, as perceived Sharon Graham. He said, “It’s interesting to read about the compromises made in the Bill. It is also surprising to see that nine months is the suggested probationary time instead of six months.” The details are still being discussed, but they’re not as radical or as extreme as some unions wanted. There is even a caveat about the fire and rehire proposal that won’t be applicable if the company is in danger of collapsing.

Other reforms such as the right to switch off and reporting of ethnicity pay gaps, as well as single worker status, are still in development and will be included as part of another Bill or through separate guidelines and codes of conduct.

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