Keir Starmer seeks to reassure business over Labour’s worker rights pledges

Starmer told a Labour business event in February he would “level up workers’ rights in a way that has not been attempted for decades”, even though it “might not please everyone in the room”. Since the event business leaders have started to raise concerns publicly, with CBI president Rupert Soames te...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFT.com
Main Authors Parker, George, Strauss, Delphine, Michael O’Dwyer
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London The Financial Times Limited 15.03.2024
Subjects
Employment
Labor market
Legislation
Starmer, Keir
Workers
United Kingdom > UK
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Summary:Starmer told a Labour business event in February he would “level up workers’ rights in a way that has not been attempted for decades”, even though it “might not please everyone in the room”. Since the event business leaders have started to raise concerns publicly, with CBI president Rupert Soames telling the Financial Times last month that Starmer’s plans could have “unintended consequences”. According to party officials, Labour would still bring forward legislation within its first 100 days in office to enact the reforms, but much of the detail would be subject to further consultation. While business lobby groups have expressed concerns about Labour’s workers’ rights proposals, recent polling of managers by the Chartered Management Institute showed 83 per cent said that improving worker’s rights could positively impact workplace productivity.