Bosses made to justify why staff shouldn’t work from home Politics Bosses will have to host a meeting with staff who ask for flexible working and lay out their rationale for refusing, under a new policy outlined by Louise Haigh. The cabinet office minister told a union gathering that business leaders would have to “properly consider” flexibility requests from staff and grant an in-person meeting to [...]
Labour sheds union member support to Reform, poll shows Politics Trade union members are split between supporting Labour and Reform UK, a poll has found, reflecting the breakdown of Britain’s traditional voting patterns. A poll by JL Partners has suggested that support for the two parties from union members is tied at 28 per cent, with Labour dropping 20 percentage points in support since the [...]
Tories pledge to scrap mandatory time off for union reps Politics The Conservative Party has pledged to scrap the legal requirement for employers to offer paid time off for union representatives. Tory shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith will announce the policy on Monday, which he says will free up taxpayer cash to be spent on cutting NHS waiting lists and filling potholes. Union reps are currently [...]
Businesses brace for costs as new workers’ rights kick in April 7, 2026 Businesses across Britain are bracing for a sharp hike in costs and hiring struggles as the government’s new workers’ rights laws begin to take effect this week. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), a leading trade body, said the Employment Rights Act risks adding to an onslaught of rising cost pressures facing firms, including wage hikes [...]
Employment Rights Act: Business braces for shorter strike notices, stronger unions February 18, 2026 The first batch of reforms, following the passage of the Employment Rights Act, came into effect on Wednesday, granting employees new trade union powers. As of Wednesday, measures under the legislation kicked in, including the repeal of most of the Trade Union Act 2016 and the introduction of protections against dismissal for taking industrial action. [...]
Employment Rights Bill: Workers to get pro-union pamphlets December 8, 2025 Employers will be mandated to tell workers about the option of joining trade unions under new rules coming into force with the Employment Rights Bill. In one of several changes to workers’ rights to be made, bosses will have to inform new hires about what unions do and how they can join one. The change, backed [...]
Exclusive: Labour mulls hefty fine for employers who stop unions entering offices every week October 23, 2025 The Labour government is considering a plan to give trade unions weekly access to businesses’ offices, with fines worth up to £75,000 to be dished out to bosses who bar them from entering. The Employment Rights Bill (ERB) is set to include powers for trade unions to gain “right of access” to workplaces, a perk [...]
Tube strikes: Union leader says £72,000 salary is not enough September 10, 2025 RMT chief Eddie Dempsey has claimed that tube drivers on £72,000 a year were not making enough to buy a home in London, reflecting the union boss’ militant position on ongoing tube strikes. The union boss told Times Radio he made “no apologies” for the ongoing strike as he said the salary, which is around [...]
The Debate: Is it time for driverless trains on the Tube? September 10, 2025 As London is crippled once again by Tube strikes, we ask whether driverless trains are really the answer in this week's Debate.
British business risks being ‘sleepwalked into disaster’ by workers’ rights bill June 22, 2025 British businesses risk “being sleepwalked into disaster” by ministers’ attempts to change workers’ rights rules, the Conservatives have warned. In an open letter to business leaders across the UK, Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith said he was “genuinely concerned” over the impact of Angela Rayner’s Employment Rights Bill on the economy. The bill, which is [...]