Labour must 'stick to its guns' on employment rights, says TUC chief

Keir Starmer's government has been urged to "stick to its guns" amid growing pressure from business leaders to water down its reforms of workers' rights as the economy grinds to a halt.

- Richard Partington

The head of the Trades Union Congress said company bosses were demanding concessions as a "quid pro quo" for accepting tax increases in Rachel Reeves's autumn budget as they sounded the alarm over Britain's flatlining economy.

Speaking to the Guardian as he gave his new year's message, Paul Nowak said Labour needed to show 2025 would be "a year of delivery" after having spent much of its first six months in power fighting fires.

Making progress on a sweeping package of employment reforms - which includes banning zero-hours contracts and introducing day-one job protections - was a critical part of this, he said, and could help Labour counter Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

"That whole agenda around improving the world of work was a key reason why Labour won the election. In the face of the populist right of Reform, the government has to prove it is not only serious about delivering its manifesto commitments, but that they'll have a tangible difference on people's lives. The government needs to stick to its guns and deliver that agenda in full."