UK labour laws are ‘significantly’ weaker than other major economies’

British employment laws are “significantly weaker” than those in other major economies, according to a report by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the University of Cambridge. The research found that labour laws in the UK are half as protective as those in France and weaker than in Germany, Italy, and Spain. The report argues that the gap in worker protections between the UK and other OECD member nations widened after the Conservatives took office in 2010. The TUC is urging prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to cut workers’ hours and make strikes easier. The report also calls for laws specifying Sunday as the default day of rest and a right to a premium for weekend work. The TUC’s package of measures to boost workers’ rights, including banning “fire and rehire” practices and increasing the minimum wage, aims to create a level playing field. However, the proposals have raised concerns among bosses about an increase in unfair dismissal complaints and a system that mirrors the strict labour laws in France and Germany.