We need a second employment rights bill
3 min read
The Employment Rights Bill deserves recognition, but it does not go far enough.
Labour’s Employment Rights Bill is rightly seen as one of the defining achievements of the government’s first year. After decades of Conservative governments eroding workplace protections, pay and job security, this bill represents a decisive change of direction. It restores rights that had been stripped away, sets new minimum standards, and signals that the dignity and security of working people are once again a central political priority.
The bill’s provisions are significant. It introduces day-one rights against unfair dismissal, strengthens protections against the worst forms of insecure work, and begins to reverse some of the most damaging anti-union legislation of the last decade. It also marks a new approach in public services, beginning the process of bringing outsourced workers back into secure, directly employed roles — the start of what could become the largest wave of insourcing for a generation. These measures offer real gains for millions of workers and lay the foundations for a fairer labour market.
Yet while the bill deserves recognition, it is also clear that it does not go far enough. Implementation is delayed, leaving too many workers waiting until 2027 for key protections to come into force. Amendments in the House of Lords have weakened provisions on guaranteed hours and strike rights. And beyond these obstacles, there are deeper omissions that must be addressed if Labour’s “New Deal for Working People” is to be delivered in full.
First, the bill does not yet restore sectoral collective bargaining. For decades, agreements covering whole industries ensured fair wages and reduced inequality. Reviving this system is essential if Britain is to tackle chronic low pay and insecurity. Alongside this, the government must set out a credible long-term plan for pay restoration in the public sector. The current system of fragmented pay review bodies has failed, and a fairer model is needed if we are to recruit and retain the staff public services depend on.
Second, the bill leaves unresolved the issue of employment status. Millions remain trapped in bogus self-employment or gig economy contracts, denied even basic rights. A single, universal status of “worker” would close these loopholes and bring clarity and fairness to the labour market.
Third, the commitment to insourcing must go further. Outsourcing and the use of subsidiary companies — particularly visible in the NHS — have undermined pay, conditions and accountability. Arresting these trends and restoring public sector workforces to direct employment is vital if public services are to deliver fairly and effectively.
The Employment Rights Bill is therefore a historic first step. But working people did not vote for half-measures or delayed change. To complete the task, Labour must commit to a Second Employment Rights Bill — one that delivers sectoral bargaining, sets out a long-term pay restoration process, resolves employment status once and for all, and drives forward the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation.
As Labour's deputy leader, I will work with unions and champion a second bill that will get the job done. Only then will the promise of fair, secure and dignified work be fully realised.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy is Labour MP for Clapham & Brixton
