Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers are modifying employment rights legislation, hindering stronger protections for workers. The Lords recently voted to alter Labour's zero-hours contracts proposals. This includes moving the responsibility for securing guaranteed hours to employees rather than employers. Protections against unfair dismissal would also be limited to six months instead of the proposed day-one coverage. Trade union support changes face further reductions. The amendments will return to the Commons in September for further consideration and potential revisions, involving a back-and-forth voting process known as ping-pong.
The sight of hereditary peers voting to block stronger workers' rights belongs in another century. It's plain wrong," said Paul Nowak, TUC General Secretary.
Under the Lords' amendments, a requirement for employers to offer zero-hours workers a contract covering a guaranteed number of hours would be shifted to place the onus on staff to ask for such an arrangement.
The amendments were put forward by the Lib Dem Lord Goddard, a former leader of Stockport council, and two Tory peers: Lord Hunt and Lord Sharpe.
Sharpe said: "Keir Starmer's unemployment bill is a disaster for employees as much as it is a threat to business."
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