Labour's Employment Rights Bill Faces Challenges Amid U-Turn on Worker Protections
Labour's flagship Employment Rights Bill is progressing through Parliament, with Rachel Rayner urging MPs not to blink or buckle amid contentious debates.
The bill initially promised to protect workers from unfair dismissal from day one of employment, but the government altered this to a six-month qualifying period starting in 2027 following a pragmatic U-turn announced by Business Secretary Peter Kyle.
Currently, the bill is caught in a back-and-forth between the House of Lords and Commons, with peers sending back amendments and Labour MPs expressing frustration over the blocked manifesto pledge.
Rayner, speaking in the Commons for the first time since the U-turn and after resigning as deputy prime minister over a tax issue related to a flat, remains a Labour backbencher.
Supporters of the bill argue that it is pro-growth and pro-worker, delivering key rights such as parental leave and sick pay.
Conservative critics, including Andrew Griffith, have raised concerns about the timetable and potential impact on jobs, accusing Rayner of driving the agenda.
Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney also criticized the late change to compensation for unfair dismissal.
