BREAKING: Labour's landmark Employment Rights Bill has PASSED both Houses of Parliament.

 

Fantastic News! Well done Labour Unions and the Labour Government!

"We did it: Labour’s landmark Employment Rights Bill has finally passed BOTH Houses of Parliament – meaning it is just inches away from becoming law.

The Bill is the first step in delivering the New Deal for Working People, the greatest uplift to workers’ rights in a generation. And it all starts with this Bill, which includes:

Guaranteed hours contracts – the right for everyone to have a contract that reflects the hours they actually work, cracking down on exploitative zero-hours contracts.

Repealing anti-union laws like the Tories’ draconian 2016 Trade Union Act.

Protections against fire and rehire - new protections making it harder for bad employers to fire you if you don’t accept cuts in pay or conditions.

Tougher enforcement of rights - a new watchdog to crack down on bad bosses and ensure all employers respect rights at work.

More say at work – stronger rights for unions to campaign and negotiate to win better pay and conditions for workers.

Share on Facebook, X/Twitter and Bluesky

But this wouldn’t have happened without people like you. At every step of the way, the Tories teamed up with bad bosses and Reform to try and stop the Bill. And when it got to the House of Lords, the Liberal Democrats sided with them until the last moment.

But thanks to everyone working to put working people first, inside and outside of Parliament, we kept the pressure on - and we won.

But the fight is not over yet. There are still so many details to be decided about how these new rights are going to work in practice. And we need to make sure the rest of what was promised in the New Deal is delivered, including equal pay, health and safety and more.

Millions of working people across the country deserve job security, fair pay, and dignity at work. The Employment Rights Bill is historic, and a step toward to delivering the New Deal for Working People – but our job is not done yet.

Add your name and celebrate the Employment Rights Bill passing Parliament. www.labourunions.org.uk/backthebill

Today is a historic day. The New Deal is the greatest increase in employment rights in a generation. This Bill was passed by the Labour Government, but it was written and delivered with the labour movement – and it's working people who will soon feel the benefit of these crucial new rights.

Today’s a day to celebrate – before the work continues!

In solidarity,

Helen Pearce,

Director, Labour Unions

Visit our Campaign Shop and follow us on Social Media:

Reproduced from an electronic communication sent by Helen Pearce on behalf of National TULO, 20 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0SS".

"We are doing it - the Employment Rights Bill Clears the Commons!"

 

Dear John,   This is a huge moment. Tonight, the Employment Rights Bill passed the Commons - a major step toward stronger rights for working people. This is the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, and it’s happening because of trade unionists and activists like you. From day one, our movement has led the charge, putting working people at the heart of Labour’s plan to raise wages, strengthen rights, and make work pay. In opposition, we worked in partnership with Labour to develop the New Deal for Working People. In Government, unions are pushing hard to ensure that the legislation delivers on that shared agenda. Trade unions, representing millions of working people, helped secure key new protections: Stopping union-busting – blocking bad bosses from undermining worker organising and winning recognition. Closing loopholes – so agency workers will benefit from the new provisions on zero and guaranteed hours contracts. Introducing new rules so social care workers in Scotland and Wales they can also benefit from Fair Pay Agreements, bringing unions and employers together to agree pay and conditions. Strengthening the new union access rights, to make it easier for unions to recruit, organise and win a better deal. Removing laws designed to tie unions in knots – so they can concentrate on doing their job and winning better pay and conditions. These build on bold changes already in the Bill – stronger unfair dismissal protections, action plans to close the gender pay gap, a Fair Work Agency to enforce rights, repealing anti-union laws, and tackling workplace harassment. This isn’t just an upgrade in rights – it’s a shift in power back to where it belongs: with working people.

Share on BlueSky

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter/X

But let’s be clear - the Tories and Reform Party tried to derail the Bill at every turn. Tonight, Tory and Reform MPs voted to stop the Bill in its tracks. The Tories even tabled what they admitted was a “wrecking amendment”, taking a sledgehammer to new protections from harassment, the day 1 right to not be unfairly dismissed, provisions on zero hours and guaranteed hours contracts and so much more. When it mattered most, they didn’t just oppose the Bill – they fought to block it every step of the way. They voted to keep wages low and let bad bosses off the hook. But the fight isn’t over. The naysayers and doom-mongers haven’t gone away. They’re the same tired voices who fought against the minimum wage, claiming it would crash the economy. They were wrong then, and they are wrong now. Stronger rights at work don’t threaten growth – they drive it, and they make sure it delivers money in workers’ pockets. This Bill still needs to get through the House of Lords. After it’s been written into law, there’s work to do to get every detail right to make sure it works in practice and delivers the change working people have been promised. And let’s not forget, the Employment Rights Bill is only the start of delivering the New Deal for Working People. We’ve come this far by standing together. We won’t let them hold us back. Add your name. Show your support for delivering the New Deal in full: https://labourunions.org.uk/winnewdeal/

In solidarity,  Helen Pearce, Director Labour Unions

Visit our Campaign Shop and follow us on Social Media:

"A better life at work..."

 

"The Employment Rights Bill (ERB) will be making its way through Parliament soon. It will introduce new bargaining bodies for care workers and school support staff in England as well. Find out more here: https://magazine.unison.org.uk/2025/02/11/the..."-employment-rights-bill-the-story-so-far/

Employment Rights Bill - Second Reading - PASSED

 

SECOND READING - PASSED. Brilliant job

@AngelaRayner

and

@jreynoldsMP

, and all the Labour MPs who spoke in the debate to explain why it matters and highlight important issues. Now for Committee Stage BRING. IT. ON.

Hat tip @labourunions

"Bill will make game-changing improvements to working life, says UNISON"

 

This is special. A very welcome day. Good news for workers and responsible employers. Still lots to do. 

Fair pay agreement in social care will be an historic step

Commenting on the publication of the employment rights bill today (Thursday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“At last the lives of millions of employees across the UK look set to change for the better. The bill lays the groundwork for a brighter future for everyone at work.

“There’ll be improved protection from the first day in a job and more family-friendly roles. Bad bosses won’t be able to exploit at whim using dodgy ‘fire and rehire’ tactics, and it’ll be easier for unions to offer support to all employees.

“The means to create a fair pay agreement to increase wages for care workers in England is game-changing. It’s an historic first step towards transforming a sector that’s been neglected and ignored for far too long. The result will make a world of difference to people who need care and to their families too.

“The two-tier workforce will be no more, with penny-pinching employers no longer able to treat outsourced workers less favourably than everyone else.

“A new body to negotiate pay for school support staff will bring a much-needed boost for the low-paid, mostly female workforce and attract recruits into currently hard-to-fill roles.

“The bill marks a sea-change in industrial relations after years of worsening workers’ rights and unnecessary hostility towards unions. It’ll stop employees being penalised for going on strike* and bring union ballots into the digital age.

“All this can only help the economy thrive and improve services to the public. Good employers have absolutely nothing to fear, but the bad ones won’t like it one bit.

“This is a complex programme of legislation, and the details will need to be fine-tuned. There’s still much work to do. But the government has stuck to its pledge to overhaul working life, a huge achievement in less than100 days.”