Any members who have been reading recent updates will be aware of the discussion before the election about the Labour Government’s potential changes to employment law. Well, with the expected change in government the King’s Speech has now confirmed the legislative programme for the new parliamentary session, including the Employment Rights Bill which proposes to :-
- ban ‘exploitative’ zero-hour contracts, ensuring workers have a right to a contract that reflects the number of hours they regularly work and that all workers get reasonable notice of any changes in shifts with proportionate compensation for any shifts cancelled or curtailed
- end the practice of ‘fire and rehire’ by reforming the law to provide effective remedies and replacing the previous Government’s statutory Code of Practice
- make parental leave, sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal a ‘day one’ right (subject to probationary periods to assess new hires)
- strengthen statutory sick pay, by removing the lower earnings limit as well as the three-day waiting period
- make flexible working the default from day one for all workers, with employers required to accommodate this as far as is reasonable
- strengthen protections for new mothers, by making it unlawful to dismiss a woman who has had a baby for six months after her return to work, except in specific circumstances
- establish a new Single Enforcement Body, also known as a Fair Work Agency, to strengthen enforcement of workplace rights
- establish a Fair Pay Agreement in the adult social care sector and, following review, assess how and to what extent such agreements could benefit other sectors
- reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body, to establish national terms and conditions, career progression routes and fair pay rates
- update trade union legislation, removing unnecessary restrictions on trade union activity – including the previous Government’s approach to minimum service levels – and ensuring industrial relations are based around good faith negotiation and bargaining
- simplify the process of statutory recognition and introduce a regulated route to ensure workers and union members have a reasonable right to access a union within workplaces.
We have also been provided details of the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill which is going to introduce more rights and it is proposed there will be a right to equal pay for ethnic minorities and disabled people, plus ethnicity and disability pay reporting for employers with over 250 employees, to try to close ethnicity and disability pay gaps.
As ever as an RMI member you have access to the RMI Legal advice line, as well as several industry experts for your assistance. We will endeavour to keep you updated on these proposals as they progress through Parliament as the devil is always in the detail.
Motor Industry Legal Services
Motor Industry Legal Services (MILS Solicitors) provides fully comprehensive legal advice and representation to UK motor retailers for one annual fee. It is the only law firm in the UK which specialises in motor law and motor trade law. MILS currently advises over 1,000 individual businesses within the sector as well as the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) and its members.
