UNISON has welcomed the government’s newly published ‘road map’ for the implementation of the Employment Rights Bill (ERB) in Great Britain, adding that its game-changing changes to working lives “can’t come soon enough”.
The ERB, which is currently making its way through Parliament, contains a host of beneficial measures that have long been campaigned for by UNISON. They include a ban on exploitative zero hours contracts, the end of unscrupulous fire and rehire practices, the introduction of parental leave and protections from unfair dismissal from day one, improvements to facility time for trade union reps and the lifting of the many curbs on trade union activity imposed by the Tory government.
Given the scale of these changes, and the need for secondary legislation and guidance after the bill is passed, the government has set out a phased timetable from 2025 to 2027 in its new document Implementing the Employment Rights Bill.
In a joint introduction, deputy prime minster Angela Rayner and business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds comment: “We always said that this bill must work in practice, not just on paper. This is why we are consulting on key aspects of our Plan to Make Work Pay and taking a staggered approach to implementing several of the most significant reforms.
“This is the right thing to do for both employers and workers. We are ensuring that there is a proper business readiness period, so that businesses and organisations fully understand the details of our reforms and can prepare long before they come into force.”
The document features a timetable for when individual measures will take effect, as well as a schedule of consultations on key reforms that will allow trade unions, employers and others to work through the detail with the relevant government departments.
Consultations are already underway for the reinstatement of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) and the Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care.
Commenting on the plans, UNISON head of policy Sampson Low said: “This bill is a game changer that can’t come soon enough. It’s the most significant piece of employment rights legislation in decades. And it will deliver real, positive change for working people.
“Those seeking to delay or dilute these changes must be resisted. The reforms are popular, long overdue and exactly what staff are calling for.
“This legislation will help all employers become better employers.”
The article Employment Rights Bill ‘can’t come soon enough’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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