Tue, 16 Dec 2025

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 Employment Rights Bill clears last parliamentary hurdle

Sir Keir Starmer said the development marked a "major victory for working people in every part of the country".
The Employment Rights Bill passed after Conservative peer Lord Sharpe withdrew an amendment, removing the last obstacle. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described it as a "major victory for working people" that marks "the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation". Most of its measures require secondary legislation before coming into effect. Key changes include:
* Workers getting access to sick pay and paternity leave from the first day on the job
* New protections for pregnant women and new mothers
* Enhanced protections against unfair dismissal after six months of employment The bill applies to England, Scotland, and Wales but not Northern Ireland. It is expected to gain royal assent this week. Sharon Graham, Unite union's general secretary, said the bill must be implemented "without any further dilution or delay" as it had been watered down already. Paul Nowak, Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary, described it as a "historic day and early Christmas present for working people". However, Conservatives argued that the bill will increase costs for small businesses and lead to higher unemployment. Business groups expressed concern about some of its changes but said passing the legislation as is would be acceptable if the six-month qualifying period for unfair dismissal remained. The UK's official unemployment figures showed a rise in joblessness every month since the current government took office.
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