Unions claim the government is deserting workforces.
The exclusion of measures to improve workers’ rights from the Queen’s Speech has enraged unions.
An Employment Bill was anticipated for to include flexible working hours, prohibitions against pregnancy discrimination, and the opportunity for employees to keep all tips.
The government first outlined its plans for the law in 2019.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady condemned the government of “turning its back” on workers, predicting that “evil bosses will rejoice.”
“Without an Employment Bill, essential rights promised by politicians, such as default flexible working, fair tipping, and protection from pregnancy discrimination, could be lost forever,” she stated.
“It also means doing nothing about the plague of precarious labor and eradicating unethical practices.”
Ministers have sent a signal by postponing the Employment Bill that they are happy for unscrupulous firms to tramp on workers’ rights. “What was in the Queen’s Speech this year?
What is the significance of the Queen’s Speech?
The Queen’s Speech in December 2019 initially mentioned a proposed Employment Bill.
Concerns that workers’ rights might be weakened once the UK exited the EU prompted calls for reform, as did concerns about the treatment of gig economy workers.
When it was first introduced, the law promised:
The establishment of a single enforcement body to provide workers with more security
Ensuring that any gratuities left for employees are received in full.
All employees would have access to it.
Parents would be permitted to take extended leave for neonatal care, and unpaid carers would be entitled to one week’s leave, subject to consultation. The bill also advocated making flexible working the default unless companies have good reason not to.
“It’s really sad that the government has opted to kick the Employment Bill into the long grass again,” said Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation.
“It’s been two and a half years since the Employment Law was first promised, and five years since the Taylor review into modern working practices; the government must demonstrate its commitment to this subject by bringing this bill forward as soon as possible.”
