The Labour party has published its manifesto for the 12 December 2019 general election. It's policies on employment law and industrial relations appear from page 59. Key manifesto pledges are:-
- living wage of £10 per hour for all workers aged 16 or over
- compel large companies to give employees 10% ownership of the company (to include payments of dividends)
- bring in additional rights for the self-employed, including free childcare, collective income protection insurance schemes and better access to mortgages and pensions
- set up a Ministry for Employment Rights, which will roll out (it seems) compulsory collective bargaining on minimum standards for pay and working hours by sector, that every employer will have to follow
- give everyone full employment rights from day one on the job ('full employment rights' is not explained further)
- strengthen protection for whistleblowers and strengthen unfair dismissal rights (no detail given)
- clarify worker status (no detail given)
- ban zero hour contracts (no detail given, other than requiring cancelled shifts to be paid)
- require breaks during shifts to be paid
- extending statutory maternity pay from 9 months to 12 months
- introduce four new bank holidays
- re-introduce employer's liability for harassment by third parties
- ban unpaid internships
- strengthen trade union rights, bu allowing unions to use electronic balloting, strengthening unions' right of access to workplaces, and repealing the Trade Union Act 2016
- reduce average working hours to 32 hours per week within ten years
- keep employment tribunals free (no mention of more funding for the Tribunals Service or Acas though)
- introduce new Labour Courts (no detail given).
- make state (not individuals) responsible for enforcing equal pay
- require workplaces with >50 employees to obtain government certification on gender equality or face fines
- require all large employers to have flexible working and menopause policies
- introduce 10 days of paid leave for survivors of domestic abuse
- extend pay-gap reporting to BAME groups
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