Labour Party conference votes against regression on New Deal for Working People

Labour conference this week passed a motion affirming that there will be “no regression” from Labour’s New Deal for Working People. There had been concern over several months about the apparent watering down of Labour’s policies on workers’ rights.

As Labourlist reported:

New Deal for Working People – composite motion eleven – was passed on a show of hands. The motion, moved by the Communication Workers Union (CWU), states that the “expansion of the gig economy has created a major barrier to improving pay, conditions and security for workers”.

The motion sees conference affirm that there will be “no regression” from Labour’s New Deal for Working People and states that Labour in government “will immediately implement” the New Deal “in full”.

The motion states this should include “widespread” rollout of sectoral collective bargaining, a “fully resourced” Single Enforcement Body, increasing Statutory Sick Pay and extending it to the self-employed, as well as simplifying the process of union recognition and ensuring “reasonable access” within workplaces.

The motion also saw conference resolve that the next Labour government should understand that the New Deal is an “electoral advantage” and commit “properly” to implementing a single status of worker and ending “bogus self-employment” within the first term.

Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said:

“Labour Party conference has spoken.

This vote sends a clear message to Keir Starmer and the rest of the Labour leadership that there must be no backsliding on commitments to workers’ rights. The New Deal for Working people must be implemented in full.

For decades, profit and wealth accumulation have been prioritised over the needs of working people. Trade unions have been shackled with authoritarian laws and real wages have plummeted.

If it wants to rebuild Britain, Labour must smash the Tories’ anti-worker agenda and lead the way in improving workers’ rights, conditions and pay.”