Michelle ThompsonThe head of the UK’s largest trade union has warned the government against watering down its Employment Rights Bill, calling it a “huge mistake.” The legislation is expected to pass into law within weeks.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea expressed concern that ministers may no longer be fully committed to the bill after Angela Rayner’s departure and the latest cabinet reshuffle. Other unions have echoed her worries.
The bill represents a significant overhaul of workers’ protections, including safeguards against unfair dismissal and a ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts.
A senior Labour MP told the BBC the legislation risks being “slow-walked,” suggesting ministers could delay implementation as a concession to businesses amid economic strain.
At the Trades Union Congress in Brighton, union leaders voiced fears that the reshuffle—removing Rayner, sacking employment minister Justin Madders, and moving Jonathan Reynolds from business secretary to chief whip—signals a weakening of government resolve.
Unison, which represents over a million mainly low-paid workers, rarely challenges the government so directly. But McAnea told the BBC the changes were “very significant and very worrying,” adding: “It doesn’t send a good message when those most committed to the bill are no longer in those roles.”
She described the legislation as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to tip the balance slightly in favour of working people, stressing that unions would campaign “furiously” against any retreat. “We will do everything we can to ensure this is not watered down. We expect a clear timetable—and if that doesn’t happen, many union leaders, myself included, will be very, very unhappy,” she warned.
Unison’s Christina McAnea told the BBC she was “genuinely concerned” about the future of the bill
The Trades Union Congress (TUC), which represents UK trade unions, has also urged the government to “stay on course” in passing the Employment Rights Bill.
Its general secretary, Paul Nowak, told the BBC he was confident the government would deliver on its promise to implement the legislation in full. He stressed the bill would provide “a massive boost to rights for millions of working people, many of them in insecure, low-paid jobs.”
Nowak dismissed suggestions that the government should soften the bill to appease businesses, saying: “That’s the last thing ministers should consider. Secure, well-paid employment benefits everyone—it’s good for workers, good for responsible employers who aren’t being undercut, and good for the wider economy.”
Unions such as USDAW, which represents more than 300,000 supermarket, factory, and warehouse workers, remain worried about possible changes. They fear the government could adopt a House of Lords amendment made in July, which would shift the guarantee of secure hours into a weaker “right to request.” The union argues this would undermine protections by removing the guarantee that contracts reflect normal working hours.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) sees Angela Rayner’s resignation and the cabinet reshuffle as an opportunity to amend the legislation. Craig Beaumont, the FSB’s policy director, told the BBC: “In recent polling, 92% of our members said they were worried about this bill—an unprecedented level. Small firms don’t have HR teams, and the scope of the changes is overwhelming. This is a chance to fix the issues.”
Emily Martinez
