Starmer's Labour under Fire for U-Turn on Workers' Rights
Keir Starmer is facing intense backlash from his own MPs over a last-minute U-turn on plans to give workers day-one protection against unfair dismissal. The move has been labeled by several as a "complete betrayal" of the party's manifesto promises.
The decision to scrap the proposal, which was aimed at removing the 24-month "qualifying period" for workers to make an unfair dismissal claim and allowing them to do so from the first day in a new job, is seen as a major climbdown. The change will now see workers requiring six months of service before they can bring a claim, rather than immediately.
The move has left Labour MPs, including former employment minister Justin Madders, in a furious state. Madders described the U-turn as "a manifesto breach" and vowed to campaign for its reversal. Fellow MPs Andy McDonald, Neil Duncan-Jordan, and Rachael Maskell have also expressed their outrage, with McDonald describing it as a "wrong-headed move".
The opposition from within Starmer's own party is fueling concerns that Labour's commitment to workers' rights may be waning. The party's manifesto had explicitly promised to ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, end fire and rehire, and introduce basic rights from day one for parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal.
However, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has defended the decision, arguing that it was necessary to avoid delays in implementing other key parts of the employment bill. "There's been discussion on this point with trade unions, businesses, and government," she said. "It means we can bring those important rights into force from April next year."
But for many Labour MPs, including Madders, the compromise is seen as too little, too late. The U-turn has raised questions about Starmer's leadership and whether he will be able to restore trust with his party over workers' rights issues.
The controversy has highlighted the delicate balance between pleasing business interests and meeting the demands of hardline Labour supporters. With the employment bill set to pass in parliament, it remains to be seen how this latest development will play out.
Keir Starmer is facing intense backlash from his own MPs over a last-minute U-turn on plans to give workers day-one protection against unfair dismissal. The move has been labeled by several as a "complete betrayal" of the party's manifesto promises.
The decision to scrap the proposal, which was aimed at removing the 24-month "qualifying period" for workers to make an unfair dismissal claim and allowing them to do so from the first day in a new job, is seen as a major climbdown. The change will now see workers requiring six months of service before they can bring a claim, rather than immediately.
The move has left Labour MPs, including former employment minister Justin Madders, in a furious state. Madders described the U-turn as "a manifesto breach" and vowed to campaign for its reversal. Fellow MPs Andy McDonald, Neil Duncan-Jordan, and Rachael Maskell have also expressed their outrage, with McDonald describing it as a "wrong-headed move".
The opposition from within Starmer's own party is fueling concerns that Labour's commitment to workers' rights may be waning. The party's manifesto had explicitly promised to ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, end fire and rehire, and introduce basic rights from day one for parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal.
However, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has defended the decision, arguing that it was necessary to avoid delays in implementing other key parts of the employment bill. "There's been discussion on this point with trade unions, businesses, and government," she said. "It means we can bring those important rights into force from April next year."
But for many Labour MPs, including Madders, the compromise is seen as too little, too late. The U-turn has raised questions about Starmer's leadership and whether he will be able to restore trust with his party over workers' rights issues.
The controversy has highlighted the delicate balance between pleasing business interests and meeting the demands of hardline Labour supporters. With the employment bill set to pass in parliament, it remains to be seen how this latest development will play out.
they had a real chance to make some positive changes for workers and now it seems like they're just watering down their promises. I get that the gov't is trying to push through the employment bill, but can't they find a way to do it without screwing over people who are already struggling? it's not ideal, but at least we know where labour stands on this issue... for now 
! they're really messing up their own workers' rights policy 
i mean, who does that? a u-turn like that is just crazy talk 
! six months of service? come on, it's already hard enough to find a stable job without having to wait half a year before you can make a claim 
. madders is totally right to call it out as a "manifesto breach" 
starmer's got some serious questions to answer on how he's gonna restore trust with his party 
. this whole thing is just a disaster 
I'm kinda shocked by this U-turn on workers' rights. Starmer's got a tough road ahead if he wants to keep his party on board with these issues. It feels like Labour is trying to appease business interests too much, which isn't exactly what voters are looking for. I mean, who needs six months of service before bringing a claim? 
. The party's manifesto promises were clear on workers' rights, so this reversal is starting to feel like a betrayal of sorts 
. I don't get why they can't just make it one day like they promised in the first place 
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. I mean, they campaigned on some pretty radical stuff and now it seems like all that was just a bit of empty promise. Six months is still way too long for people to wait before being able to make a claim if they get sacked without reason. And what about the zero-hours contracts thing? It's not like Labour was ever going to tackle those head-on, but at least there was some lip service paid to it.
like what's goin on? first they scrap the unfair dismissal thing and now he's gonna try 2 convince ppl that it was all part of a master plan lol jk but serio tho, this is wierd. I think its a major betrayal of their manifesto promises & its gonna hurt them in the elections 
his party's supposed to be all about supporting workers but now they're just scurrying away from their promises 
like six months is even a decent compromise after the 24-month wait? 
this whole thing just reeks of leadership struggles and it's gonna hurt the party's rep among workers 
. Labour promised so much more than this on day one, and now I'm worried that their commitment to workers' rights is being watered down 
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6 months is still better than nothin', right? 
it's like, if u really care about workers' rights, why would u change ur mind at the last min? 
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. It's like they're trying to appeal to both business and trade unions at the same time... never a good idea 
.