UK's Employment Rights Bill: A Leap Forward in Workers' Rights

The UK government has proposed groundbreaking amendments to the Employment Rights Bill, ensuring contracts reflect true hours worked, including for nearly a million agency workers. It aims to prevent zero-hours contract exploitation, introduce statutory sick pay for all, and overhaul redundancy and industrial relations frameworks, marking significant workers' rights reform.

The UK government's newest legislative push promises to revolutionize worker rights. Under proposed amendments to the Employment Rights Bill, all workers, including close to a million agency workers, will receive contracts reflecting their actual working hours.

The bill, described as the most significant overhaul of UK work laws in a generation, includes measures to close loopholes permitting exploitative zero-hours contracts. This move aims to align agency worker rights with those of permanent employees, despite resistance from some business groups that argue it might undermine part-time job viability.

Beyond addressing contract standards, the legislation proposes statutory sick pay as a universal right and fortifies policies around redundancies and industrial relations. Touted as a response to persistent industrial disruptions, the bill emerges as a keystone achievement for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration since its electoral victory in July.

(With inputs from agencies.)