Government accused of betraying workers as employment bill is sidelined
The government has been accused of betraying some of the lowest paid and most vulnerable workers in Britain after it emerged it would leave out landmark reforms to employment rights from the Queen’s speech.
The employment bill is not expected to be included in next Tuesday’s list of priorities for parliament as the government focuses on policies relating to energy and economic crime.
The bill, which is being delayed for a second year, would have introduced protections against pregnancy discrimination, ensured restaurants handed over all service charges and tips to staff, and created a single enforcement body for employment rights to make sure that abuses do not fall in the gaps between different regulators.
Other measures were expected to include a default right to flexible working patterns and new safeguards for gig economy and zero-hours workers who were promised more “predictable contracts”.
The TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady, said: “If the government fails to bring forward an employment bill at next week’s Queen’s speech, it will betray some of the lowest paid and most vulnerable workers in Britain.
“Ministers have no excuse for breaking their pledge to enhance workers’ rights – especially after the scandalous events at P&O. They will have conned working people.”
Laurence Turner, the head of research and policy at the GMB union, said: “This is a historic missed opportunity. Ministers must bring forward strengthened legislation that extends workers’ rights and outlaws the pernicious practice of fire and rehire once and for all.”
Alex Marshall, the head of the IWGB union, which represents thousands of gig economy workers including couriers for the takeaway delivery firms Deliveroo and Just Eat, said he was not
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