As the Employment Rights Bill returns to Parliament tomorrow, Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to reconsider its path.
The legislation, a flagship initiative of Angela Rayner, is stirring controversy despite her recent resignation over underpaid stamp duty earlier this month.
Government Pushes Ahead Despite Criticism
The Prime Minister has insisted he will press ahead with the Bill, which opponents warn could cost businesses as much as £5 billion a year.
Critics have even dubbed it the ‘Unemployment Bill,’ citing its strong pro-union measures that include the right to switch off and entitlements for employees from their very first day of work.
Concerns from Within Labour
Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith has voiced serious concerns, urging Starmer to “reduce the huge burdens” the Bill would place on businesses.
Griffith warns that the legislation could make strikes more frequent, describing a future where “crippling strikes will be the new normal in Spineless Starmer’s Broken Britain.”
He points to the chaotic Tube strikes in London last week as just the beginning, predicting similar disruptions nationwide as militant unions push for higher pay at taxpayers’ expense.
Charities and Employers Join the Debate
This weekend, charities also weighed in, adding to the pressure on Starmer.
Many expressed concern that granting workers “day-one rights,” including sick leave, might discourage employers from hiring ex-prisoners.
Government analysis itself acknowledges that firms may “take on fewer ‘riskier hires,’” such as ex-offenders.
Beverley Brooks, founder of Recruitment Junction, which helps prisoners find work, warned that the legislation could “disincentivise employers from hiring people with convictions.”
This comes despite justice minister Lord Timpson’s efforts at his shoe repair business, which has employed over 500 ex-offenders.
Mixed Messages on Rehabilitation
Mr Griffith added: “Labour ministers like Lord Timpson say they want more offenders in work, but the Government’s actions are the complete opposite.”
The tension highlights a complex balancing act for Starmer, as he navigates union demands, business concerns, and rehabilitation policies—all under the public eye.