| Senior business leaders say discussions with deputy prime minister Angela Rayner over proposals to improve workers’ rights were “positive,” but cautioned that the “devil will be in the detail” of legislation to be put before Parliament next month. Bosses from John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, Octopus Energy and nine other large employers met Rayner and Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, to discuss Labour’s plans for reforms to workers’ rights at a breakfast meeting on Tuesday morning. Labour won July’s general election promising to overhaul employment rights, with measures including the right for all “zero hours” workers to be offered a contract and full employment rights to be given to all workers from day one. Business leaders are understood to be concerned over how the phasing out of zero-hours contracts will be achieved. It has been proposed that every worker must be offered a contract reflecting typical hours worked over a 12-week period, but there is concern that this doesn’t take into account seasonal fluctuations in sectors such as hospitality and retail. Businesses leaders also argue that to extend full employment rights from day one, longer probationary periods for new employees will need to be imposed so that some flexibility is retained. One business leader who was present at the meeting said: “None of what Labour is proposing comes as a surprise and we respect that they have a mandate, but the practical delivery will be complex and we can help with it. The feeling is this was a positive sign that the government understands the need to consult with business on the things that affect us. The devil will be in the detail, but this was a good first step.” |
Leave a Reply