Manifesto – Special Edition
With the election fast approaching (polling day being 7 May 2015) we thought it would be a good time to set out the main parties’ proposals surrounding employment law. As you might expect, there are a number of ‘hot topics’ that have been addressed. Some proposals, whilst worded differently, have striking similarities. Click on each party below to view their proposals:
Whilst the Greens make some attractive proposals, they arguably lack detail as to implementation. All parties want to increase the national minimum wage. Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens want to retain the Human Rights Act (the Lib Debs even wanting to add a 2nd Freedoms Act), with the Tories wanting it replaced. The Tories also want to attack the ability of trade unions to represent members, to make it harder to organise a strike and minimise the effects of the strike.
There are some similarities in proposals made by Labour and the Lib Dems: increasing the amount of paternity leave; restricting the use of zero hours contracts; changing the Employment Tribunal Fee regime; scrapping the ‘shares for rights’ scheme; increasing the number of apprenticeships (something also supported by the Tories); and requiring large companies to publish details of gender pay gaps (again supported by the Tories).
The Lib Dems want to encourage electronic voting in trade union ballots. Whilst Labour wants to protect employees’ wages, reinstate 3rd party harassment rights for employees, remove employers’ ability to buy employees’ statutory rights from them, and eradicate blacklisting.
