Latest news with #NewDealforWorkingPeople
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rayner ‘must not cave in to Farage over banter crackdown'
Angela Rayner must not cave in to critics such as Nigel Farage over her so-called pub banter crackdown, a union chief has said. Paul Nowak, the head of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has urged the Deputy Prime Minister to stand firm in her bid to protect workers from third-party harassment, which forms a key part of her Employment Rights Bill. That is despite critics arguing that it will encourage people to 'sue for hurt feelings'. Mr Nowak argued that critics such as Mr Farage, who have attacked Ms Rayner's workers' rights reforms, are just protecting 'their right to be offensive'. While calling on pub landlords to back the Bill, the TUC boss argued that the third-party harassment clause will not mean monitoring conversations. He said: 'I love going to the pub as much as anyone but I don't think that the thought police are going to descend on Britain's pubs.' His comments come after the Government was warned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) that proposals forcing employers to protect staff from 'third parties' could apply to 'overheard conversations' among pubgoers. The protections are set to be introduced under Ms Rayner's Employment Rights Bill, which is a keystone of Labour's so-called New Deal for Working People. Concerns over the Bill were also raised in the House of Lords during a second reading last month. Lord Young told peers that he was worried it would 'accelerate the erasure of the good old British pub', while Lord Strathcarron called it an 'Alice in Wonderland' clause that would 'satisfy the whims of the ever-changing, latest version of group think'. Mr Farage has previously raised similar fears by claiming that 'every pub is a parliament'. He said: 'It is where we discuss the world. If that is restricted, they might as well all close.' Sir Tim Martin, the founder and chairman of JD Wetherspoon, also criticised the prospect of pub goers being prevented from discussing certain topics – arguing earlier this year that it sounded like 'Big Brother thought control'. However, Mr Nowak called the mounting criticism a 'complete and utter red herring' and urged ministers and landlords to stand firm. As well as calling for the pub banter crackdown to go ahead as planned, the union boss also called on businesses not to use Donald Trump's tariffs as an excuse to play 'fast and loose on pay'. He added: 'Hold your nerve to mitigate what's happening on the other side of the Atlantic'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Rayner ‘must not cave in to Farage over banter crackdown'
Angela Rayner must not cave in to critics such as Nigel Farage over her so-called pub banter crackdown, a union chief has said. Paul Nowak, the head of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has urged the Deputy Prime Minister to stand firm in her bid to protect workers from third-party harassment, which forms a key part of her Employment Rights Bill. That is despite critics arguing that it will encourage people to 'sue for hurt feelings'. Mr Nowak argued that critics such as Mr Farage, who have attacked Ms Rayner's workers' rights reforms, are just protecting 'their right to be offensive'. While calling on pub landlords to back the Bill, the TUC boss argued that the third-party harassment clause will not mean monitoring conversations. He said: 'I love going to the pub as much as anyone but I don't think that the thought police are going to descend on Britain's pubs.' His comments come after the Government was warned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) that proposals forcing employers to protect staff from 'third parties' could apply to 'overheard conversations' among pubgoers. The protections are set to be introduced under Ms Rayner's Employment Rights Bill, which is a keystone of Labour's so-called New Deal for Working People. Concerns over the Bill were also raised in the House of Lords during a second reading last month. Lord Young told peers that he was worried it would 'accelerate the erasure of the good old British pub', while Lord Strathcarron called it an 'Alice in Wonderland' clause that would 'satisfy the whims of the ever-changing, latest version of group think'. Mr Farage has previously raised similar fears by claiming that 'every pub is a parliament'. He said: 'It is where we discuss the world. If that is restricted, they might as well all close.' Sir Tim Martin, the founder and chairman of JD Wetherspoon, also criticised the prospect of pub goers being prevented from discussing certain topics – arguing earlier this year that it sounded like 'Big Brother thought control'. However, Mr Nowak called the mounting criticism a 'complete and utter red herring' and urged ministers and landlords to stand firm. As well as calling for the pub banter crackdown to go ahead as planned, the union boss also called on businesses not to use Donald Trump's tariffs as an excuse to play 'fast and loose on pay'. He added: 'Hold your nerve to mitigate what's happening on the other side of the Atlantic'.
The Independent
03-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Labour's ‘right to switch off' faces axe this week
Ministers are expected to axe plans to give people a right to 'switch off' outside work hours, reports have suggested. The policy - which was a central part of Sir Keir Starmer's manifesto promise of a 'New Deal for Working People' aimed at strengthening employment rights - would allow workers to ignore work-related emails and calls outside office hours, including the right to refuse to take on extra work at the weekends. Labour had previously said the policy, inspired by models in Ireland and Belgium, would ensure that 'working from home does not become homes turning into 24/7 offices'. While it did not appear in the Employment Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament, there were promises from ministers it would emerge in future. However, that has now changed, and ministers are expected to say in the coming week that the policy has been dropped, when they table a series of amendments to the Bill, according to the Sunday Times newspaper. A Government source told the newspaper the 'right to switch off is dead'. Ministers are said to be making the change in a bid to boost business confidence, after the Budget placed extra costs on employers in the form of the national insurance contributions hike. The Government source added: 'Growth that puts money in people's pockets is the number one priority of this Government's plan for change. 'That means making Britain the best country in the world to do business and a key part of that is removing unnecessary barriers.' The plan had received renewed backing from Starmer in August, with the prime minister's deputy spokesperson saying: 'This is about ensuring people have some time to rest.' 'Good employers understand that for workers to stay motivated and productive they do need to be able to switch off, and a culture presenteeism can be damaging to productivity.'
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ministers expected to axe ‘right to switch off' in coming week
Ministers are expected to axe plans to give people a right to 'switch off' outside work hours, reports have suggested. The policy was a central part of Sir Keir Starmer's manifesto promise of a 'New Deal for Working People' aimed at strengthening employment rights. It did not appear in the Employment Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament, but there were promises from ministers it would emerge in future. However, that has now changed, and ministers are expected to say in the coming week that the policy has been dropped, when they table a series of amendments to the Bill, according to the Sunday Times newspaper. A Government source told the newspaper the 'right to switch off is dead'. Ministers are said to be making the change in a bid to boost business confidence, after the Budget placed extra costs on employers in the form of the national insurance contributions hike. The Government source added: 'Growth that puts money in people's pockets is the number one priority of this Government's plan for change. 'That means making Britain the best country in the world to do business and a key part of that is removing unnecessary barriers.' Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
02-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Ministers expected to axe ‘right to switch off' in coming week
Ministers are expected to axe plans to give people a right to 'switch off' outside work hours, reports have suggested. The policy was a central part of Sir Keir Starmer's manifesto promise of a 'New Deal for Working People' aimed at strengthening employment rights. It did not appear in the Employment Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament, but there were promises from ministers it would emerge in future. However, that has now changed, and ministers are expected to say in the coming week that the policy has been dropped, when they table a series of amendments to the Bill, according to the Sunday Times newspaper. Government source told the newspaper the 'right to switch off is dead'. Ministers are said to be making the change in a bid to boost business confidence, after the Budget placed extra costs on employers in the form of the national insurance contributions hike. The Government source added: 'Growth that puts money in people's pockets is the number one priority of this Government's plan for change. 'That means making Britain the best country in the world to do business and a key part of that is removing unnecessary barriers.'
