At last a radical employment rights programme set out by the Labour Party – can anyone disagree with these proposals?
LABOUR’S WORKERS CHARTER
- Give all workers equal rights from day one, whether part-time or full-time, temporary or permanent – so that all workers have the same rights and protections whatever kind of job they have.
- Ban zero hours contracts – so that every worker gets a guaranteed number of hours each week.
- Ensure that any employer wishing to recruit labour from abroad does not undercut workers at home – because it causes divisions when one workforce is used against another.
- Repeal the Trade Union Act and roll out sectoral collective bargaining – because the most effective way to maintain good rights at work is through a trade union.
- Guarantee trade unions a right to access workplaces – so that unions can speak to members and potential members.
- Introduce four new Bank Holidays – we’ll bring our country together with new holidays to mark our four national patron saints’ days, so that workers in Britain get the same proper breaks as in other countries.
- Raise the minimum wage to the level of the living wage (expected to be at least £10 per hour by 2020) – so that no one in work gets poverty pay.
- End the public sector pay cap – because public sector wages have fallen and our public sector workers deserve a pay rise.
- Amend the takeover code to ensure every takeover proposal has a clear plan in place to protect workers and pensioners – because workers shouldn’t suffer when a company is sold.
- Roll out maximum pay ratios – of 20:1 in the public sector and companies bidding for public contracts – because it cannot be right that wages at the top keep rising while everyone else’s stagnates.
- Ban unpaid internships – because it’s not fair for some to get a leg up when others can’t afford to.
- Enforce all workers’ rights to trade union representation at work – so that all workers can be supported when negotiating with their employer.
- Abolish employment tribunal fees – so that people have access to justice.
- Double paid paternity leave to four weeks and increase paternity pay – because fathers are parents too and deserve to spend more time with their new babies.
- Strengthen protections for women against unfair redundancy – because no one should be penalised for having children.
- Hold a public inquiry into blacklisting – to ensure that blacklisting truly becomes and remains a thing of the past.
- Give equalities reps statutory rights – so they have time to protect workers from discrimination.
- Reinstate protection against third party harassment – because everyone deserves to be safe at work
- Use public spending power to drive up standards, including only awarding public contracts to companies which recognise trade unions.
- Introduce a civil enforcement system to ensure compliance with gender pay auditing– so that all workers have fair access to employment and promotion opportunities and are treated fairly at work.
