Keir Starmer’s party looks set to roll back on some of its key pledges for workers’ rights.By Democrat reporter
LABOUR leader Keir Starmer is set to unveil a weakened package of workers’ rights in the coming weeks as shadow ministers discuss how to tone down some previous pledges.
But according to the Financial Times, shadow ministers are keen to ease business chiefs’ misgivings and are holding talks on how to water down some of the pledges.
“The whole tone of everything they’ve been saying on workers’ rights has been attempting to be constructive compared to a couple of months ago,” said one lobbyist.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar posted a video for International Workers’ Day on Twitter/X on Wednesday saying: “A Labour government will always be on the side of working people across Scotland and the UK.”
One business leader told the FT that after several meetings with the party, they were now “pretty relaxed” about its plans.
A Labour spokesperson said the New Deal would remain a “core part of Labour’s offer to the country” at the General Election.
“Our commitments to bring forward legislation to parliament within 100 days to deliver the New Deal and to consult widely on implementation have not changed,” they said.
People familiar with the updated version of the programme have said it would include a promise to consult on its plan to create a “single status” for all workers except those who are genuinely self-employed.
There is also set to be a review of parental leave within the first year of a Labour government, they told the paper.
Sources have also said Labour will clarify that their promised ban on zero-hour contracts will be a right to a contract reflecting a workers’ regular work pattern over the previous 12 weeks.
The SNP have said Starmer’s decision to U-turn on his party’s flagship workers’ rights policies is a “betrayal”.
MP Chris Stephens has warned that Labour have shown their “true colours” on how important workers’ rights are to them.
He told The National: “Despite campaigning across these isles, telling voters that Labour will offer real change to workers’ rights, Sir Keir’s Labour Party are willing to abandon those promises for a chance at power.
“With each passing day, it’s clear that Sir Keir Starmer has no idea what he wants to do with the power he so desperately seeks.
“He would rather leave Scotland under Westminster control, and at the mercy of Tory attacks on workers’ rights, than give Scotland’s national parliament the full powers over its own affairs.”