Angela Rayner – deputy prime minister said: “I promised the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, nothing less than a new deal for working people, and I can confirm today that the Employment Rights Bill will be tabled in Parliament next month. They said we couldn’t do it, some tried to stop it in its tracks, but after years of opposition we are on the verge of historic legislation.
“To make work more secure and family friendly. Go further and faster to close the gender pay gap. Ensure rights are enforced and trade unions strengthened. That means repealing the Tories’ anti-worker laws and new rights for union reps too. A genuine living wage and sick pay for the lowest earners. Banning exploitative zero-hour contracts and unpaid internships. Ending fire and rehire and we will bring in basic rights from day one of the job. This our plan to make work pay, coming to a workplace near you.”
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “The new deal for workers is something that Usdaw long campaigned for and we are delighted that the deputy prime minister today confirmed that our new Labour Government is getting on with job in the first 100 days of taking power, as promised. This is the kind of transformational change that we voted for.
“Tackling low paid and insecure work will make a real difference to our members and finally ensure that all workers receive dignity and respect. The Government has already made a great start by changing the remit of the Low Pay Commission, requiring them to take account of the cost of living when setting minimum wage rates and to bring an end to rip-off youth rates.
“Angela Rayner’s address was an honest account of where our broken economy stands, after it was trashed by the Conservatives. She laid bare the hard work and tough choices that will have to be taken as we head towards the light at the end of the tunnel, to deliver new hope for the country.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter/X @UsdawUnion