Does Labour's Employment Rights Bill Deliver on Sectoral Bargaining?

"This is the first realistic chance we've had to revise the industrial relations structure of this country since Mrs. Thatcher came to power in 1979." - John Hendy KC Will the Employment Rights Bill fail to improve pay and conditions for British workers? Leading labour law experts Lord John Hendy KC and Prof. Keith Ewing address the absence of sectoral collective bargaining from the Labour government’s new Employment Rights Bill. These two industrial relations law heavyweights argue that the Bill leaves UK workers vulnerable to exploitation from companies hostile to collective agreements. "The minimum wage is the ceiling, and there's nothing above it." - Professor Keith Ewing They expound Britain’s historical sectoral bargaining arrangements, their decline under Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and the urgent need to reinstate trade union powers to negotiate effectively across entire industries. Topics & Questions: Sectoral Bargaining: Why is it crucial for improving wages and working conditions? Legislative Limitations: Does the Bill adequately address the need for sectoral bargaining? Government Responsibility: Should the government take a more active role in promoting sectoral collective bargaining? Chapters: 00:04 Welcome 02:16 Sectoral Collective Bargaining: Why It Matters 05:19 Britain's Low Collective Coverage 06:50 Minsters Control Bargaining 08:39 Stable Labour Costs And Higher Tax Revenues 11:28 Now Or Never For Collective Bargaining 14:16 US Vs European Model 16:27 Successful Economies Use Sectoral Bargaining 19:43 Recognition Procedures: A Fatal Weakness 24:51 The Outlook for Terms And Conditions 28:49 Thank You For Joining Us Takeaways: Sectoral collective bargaining is essential for achieving fair wages, better working conditions, and a more equitable society. The Employment Rights Bill misses a generational opportunity to strengthen workers' rights by failing to adequately support sectoral bargaining. Without reform, the UK risks continued wage stagnation and deteriorating working conditions. Credits: The IER podcast is sponsored by Thompsons Solicitors. For Thompsons resources and advice on Trade Union law visit thompsonstradeunion.law This podcast is produced for IER by Creative Kin. To find out more, visit creativekin.co.uk/ier Recorded at Creative Kin's London studios. Studio Producer and Editor: Jason Caffrey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-caffrey/ Theme Music: Daniel Jorgensen https://audiio.com/daniel-jorgensen

Om Podcasten

The IER is delighted to launch our new podcast. In this 6-part series, our labour law experts will be dissecting the new employment legislation brought forward by Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government. As many of our readers will know, the IER have been informing the debate on improving and strengthening labour laws for workers over the last 30 years. This body of work (undertaken on a voluntary basis by our labour law academics and lawyers) provided the blueprint for Labour's green paper on employment rights, New Deal for Workers document, their National Policy Forum document, and now their 'Making Work Pay' proposals, which are being brought to life by the Government's proposed Employment Rights Bill. Join us, as our experts consider how the proposals in the Bill measure up, and as we highlight the pitfalls and the possibilities the Bill may pose for the UK's 33 million workers. The IER Podcast is kindly supported by Thompsons Solicitors ( https://www.thompsonstradeunion.law/ ).