Fri, 28 Nov 2025

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 Minister defends 'pragmatic' U-turn on workers' rights

Bridget Phillipson told the BBC the climbdown would enable wider benefits to be delivered quickly.

* Labour's education secretary Bridget Phillipson has defended the party's decision to reduce the qualifying period for unfair dismissal from two years to six months.
* The move is in line with a deal agreed by some unions and industry groups, and is seen as a "pragmatic" step to ensure wider benefits in Labour's employment rights bill can be delivered on time.
* Business organisations have welcomed the decision, but it has faced criticism from some MPs on the left of the Labour Party.
* The original plan was to abolish the qualifying period completely, with a new legal probation period introduced as a safeguard for companies.
* Ministers are continuing to insist that the move does not breach Labour's general election manifesto, despite the document clearly committing the party to creating "basic rights from day one" including protection from unfair dismissal.
* The decision has been welcomed by business groups, who had argued that day-one unfair dismissal rights would discourage firms from hiring and was unworkable.
* However, some MPs have expressed concerns that the U-turn could open the door to further watering down of the employment bill.
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