Employment Rights Bill clears Lords after months-long deadlock

The Employment Rights Bill has completed its passage through Parliament after finally clearing the House of Lords, ending months of parliamentary deadlock and paving the way for the legislation to receive Royal Assent and become law.

The Government’s flagship workers’ rights Bill had been held up in the Lords, with Conservative peers repeatedly blocking its progress.

That opposition has now fallen away, allowing the Bill to pass and move swiftly towards enactment.

The Bill introduces a series of reforms including a ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts, day one sick pay, and stronger protections against harassment, alongside wider changes aimed at tackling insecure work.

One in nine workers are currently in insecure work, with around one million people on zero-hours contracts.

According to the TUC, the Bill will not only improve job security and dignity at work, but also deliver wider economic benefits, as analysis estimates a £10.4bn boost compared with projected costs of between £0.9bn and £5bn.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “This is an historic day and early Christmas present for working people across the country, and the trade unions who represent them.

“Banning exploitative zero-hours contracts, sick pay for all, expanding parental and bereavement leave, strengthening protections for pregnant women, whistleblowers and victims of sexual harassment, repealing Tory anti-union laws, ensuring union access to workplaces, establishing a social care fair pay agreement – these are just some of the watershed measures this Bill will now deliver.