Agenda item

This Council supports the Government’s new landmark Employment’s Rights Bill that will improve the lives of thousands of workers in Leeds by raising living standards for all.

 

Council welcomes measures in the Bill to provide protection against unfair dismissal from day one; establish parental and bereavement leave from day one; end exploitative zero-hour contracts; end unscrupulous practices of fire and rehire and fire and replace; make flexible working the norm where practical; deliver stronger protections for pregnant women and new mothers; and strengthen statutory sick pay.

 

Council supports the Bill will establish a new Fair Work Agency to enforce employment rights such as holiday pay and provide support to employers looking for guidance on how to comply with the law.

 

Council further supports the Government’s commitment to increase the national living wage by 6.7% to give a much-needed pay rise to thousands of low paid working people in Leeds, and is a significant step towards delivering a genuine living wage for all workers.

 

Council is pleased the Bill will modernise Trade Union laws to help in their vital role representing workers’ interests and improving working conditions.  

 

Council believes the Bill will complement this Administration’s achievements on inclusive growth in Leeds and as part of this Council commits to bring a report to a future Executive Board meeting to ensure the measures in the bill support work to ensure the future of our city is more inclusive and that all in the city can benefit from the Leeds economy growing.

 

It was moved by Councillor Farley, seconded by Councillor Heselwood that this Council supports the Government’s new landmark Employment’s Rights Bill that will improve the lives of thousands of workers in Leeds by raising living standards for all.

 

Council welcomes measures in the Bill to provide protection against unfair dismissal from day one; establish parental and bereavement leave from day one; end exploitative zero-hour contracts; end unscrupulous practices of fire and rehire and fire and replace; make flexible working the norm where practical; deliver stronger protections for pregnant women and new mothers; and strengthen statutory sick pay.

 

Council supports the Bill will establish a new Fair Work Agency to enforce employment rights such as holiday pay and provide support to employers looking for guidance on how to comply with the law.

 

Council further supports the Government’s commitment to increase the national living wage by 6.7% to give a much-needed pay rise to thousands of low paid working people in Leeds, and is a significant step towards delivering a genuine living wage for all workers.

 

Council is pleased the Bill will modernise Trade Union laws to help in their vital role representing workers’ interests and improving working conditions.  

 

Council believes the Bill will complement this Administration’s achievements on inclusive growth in Leeds and as part of this Council commits to bring a report to a future Executive Board meeting to ensure the measures in the bill support work to ensure the future of our city is more inclusive and that all in the city can benefit from the Leeds economy growing.

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor Cohen, seconded by Councillor B Anderson

 

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

 

“notes the Labour government’s own impact assessment states the Employment Rights Bill will cost businesses up to £4.5 billion a year and will therefore reduce investor confidence; indeed, the impact assessment contains 302 mentions of ‘uncertainty’ and 432 mentions of ‘risk’ for businesses.

 

“Wage bills are expected to increase due to policies in the Bill, which combined with the impact of the Chancellor’s decision to increase Employers’ National Insurance contributions will - according to the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), result in 60 per cent of costs being passed on in lower wages and higher prices - a tax on working people.

 

“Council notes that the proposed uplift to the local government settlement will be eaten up by the Chancellor’s decision to increase the National Living Wage and Employer National Insurance contributions for the wider supply chain. The Council will therefore be no better off because of the recent Budget, nor policies in this Bill.

 

“Council does, however, welcome that the Labour government ignored calls by Labour councillors in Leeds to impose a wealth tax on those who create jobs, enterprise and opportunity in the UK economy.

 

“Council believes the Bill will complement this administration’s achievements on inclusive decline in Leeds, noting the OBR’s observation that the UK economy will now grow less than forecast because of Budget policies announced by this Labour government.”

 

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Chapman, seconded by Councillor Hart-Brooke

 

Delete all after “This Council” and replace it with:

 

“welcomes many of the substantive issues addressed in the Employment Rights Bill currently progressing through Parliament.  However, it is regretted that many of the benefits proposed will not be delivered until 2026.

 

Council is concerned that living standards for most people will, at best, stagnate or, worse decline as a result of the Governments decisions to increase employers NI contributions, to retain the 2 child benefit cap, to increase the cost of bus travel, to remove the winter fuel allowance and to increase student fees. 

 

After 14 years of misery under a Conservative Government (with decisions regularly lamented by this Administration) this Council is concerned that our residents are still to see an improvement in their daily lives and urges the Government to urgently review the impact of its recent decisions”.

 

The amended White Paper motion would then read:

 

This Council welcomes many of the substantive issues addressed in the Employment Rights Bill currently progressing through Parliament.  However, it is regretted that many of the benefits proposed will not be delivered until 2026.

 

Council is concerned that living standards for most people will, at best, stagnate or, worse decline as a result of the Governments decisions to increase employers NI contributions, to retain the 2 child benefit cap, to increase the cost of bus travel, to remove the winter fuel allowance and to increase student fees. 

 

After 14 years of misery under a Conservative Government (with decisions regularly lamented by this Administration) this Council is concerned that our residents are still to see an improvement in their daily lives and urges the Government to urgently review the impact of its recent decisions.

 

A third amendment was moved by Councillor Stables, seconded by Councillor Goodall

 

At the end of the first sentence, remove the words “for all”

 

In the third paragraph, insert the word “that” after the words “the Bill”

 

Delete the whole of paragraph four.

 

Delete the final paragraph and replace with:

 

“However, Council is disappointed that the Government has not gone far enough in the increase to the national minimum wage, and therefore address the continuance of inequalities across our country. This is one of the most pressing issues affecting our society and one which the Government must urgently address. The National Living wage will still not be enough to enable families to have a decent standard of living, at £12.21 / hour. The Rowntree Foundation minimum Living Wage is £12.60/hour and £13.85 in London. This means that many working families will not be able to have a decent standard of living and may still have to access Food Banks. This is a disgrace in one of the richest countries in the world.

 

Council believes that whilst there are many good points to this Bill, the Government has not gone far enough in reducing the inequalities between the richest and poorest in our country and in Leeds, and it calls for urgent bolder action to address this issue”.

 

The amended White Paper would then read:

 

This Council supports the Government’s new landmark Employment’s Rights Bill that will improve the lives of thousands of workers in Leeds by raising living standards.

 

Council welcomes measures in the Bill to provide protection against unfair dismissal from day one; establish parental and bereavement leave from day one; end exploitative zero-hour contracts; end unscrupulous practices of fire and rehire and fire and replace; make flexible working the norm where practical; deliver stronger protections for pregnant women and new mothers; and strengthen statutory sick pay.

 

Council supports the Bill that will establish a new Fair Work Agency to enforce employment rights such as holiday pay and provide support to employers looking for guidance on how to comply with the law.

 

Council is pleased the Bill will modernise Trade Union laws to help in their vital role representing workers’ interests and improving working conditions.

 

However, Council is disappointed that the Government has not gone far enough in the increase to the national minimum wage, and therefore address the continuance of inequalities across our country. This is one of the most pressing issues affecting our society and one which the Government must urgently address. The National Living wage will still not be enough to enable families to have a decent standard of living, at £12.21 / hour. The Rowntree Foundation minimum Living Wage is £12.60/hour and £13.85 in London. This means that many working families will not be able to have a decent standard of living and may still have to access Food Banks. This is a disgrace in one of the richest countries in the world.

 

Council believes that whilst there are many good points to this Bill, the Government has not gone far enough in reducing the inequalities between the richest and poorest in our country and in Leeds, and it calls for urgent bolder action to address this issue.

 

The amendments in the name of Councillor Cohen, Councillor Chapman and Councillor Stables were declared lost and upon being put to the vote it was

 

RESOLVED – That this Council supports the Government’s new landmark Employment’s Rights Bill that will improve the lives of thousands of workers in Leeds by raising living standards for all.

 

Council welcomes measures in the Bill to provide protection against unfair dismissal from day one; establish parental and bereavement leave from day one; end exploitative zero-hour contracts; end unscrupulous practices of fire and rehire and fire and replace; make flexible working the norm where practical; deliver stronger protections for pregnant women and new mothers; and strengthen statutory sick pay.

 

Council supports the Bill will establish a new Fair Work Agency to enforce employment rights such as holiday pay and provide support to employers looking for guidance on how to comply with the law.

 

Council further supports the Government’s commitment to increase the national living wage by 6.7% to give a much-needed pay rise to thousands of low paid working people in Leeds, and is a significant step towards delivering a genuine living wage for all workers.

 

Council is pleased the Bill will modernise Trade Union laws to help in their vital role representing workers’ interests and improving working conditions.  

 

Council believes the Bill will complement this Administration’s achievements on inclusive growth in Leeds and as part of this Council commits to bring a report to a future Executive Board meeting to ensure the measures in the bill support work to ensure the future of our city is more inclusive and that all in the city can benefit from the Leeds economy growing.

 

On the requisition of Councillors Flint and Coupar the voting on the motion in the name of Councillor Farley was recorded as follows;

 

YES -62

 

Akhtar, A Ali, S Ali, Arif, Bithell, Bowden, Bromley, Carlill, Coupar, Dowson, Dye, Edwards, Farley, Flint, Garvani, Gibson, Grahame, Haigh, Hamilton, Hannan, Harland, Hayden, Heselwood, Hinchcliffe, Holroyd-Case, Z Hussain, Iqbal, Jenkins, Khan, Leighton, Lennox, Lewis, Lloyd, Maloney, Manaka, Martin, McCluskey, Millar, Parnham, Pryor, Rafique, Renshaw, Ritchie, Rontree, Scopes, Shahzad, Taylor, Thomson, Timmins, Tudor, Venner, Wilson, Wray, M Ali, Blackburn, Carlisle, Goodall, Stables, Dobson, Chesterfield, Dixon, Pogson-Golden.

 

NO – 13

 

B Anderson, C Anderson, L Buckley, N Buckley, Cohen, Firth, Flynn, Harrington, Lamb, Robinson, D Seary, S Seary, Stephenson,

 

ABSTAIN – 11

 

Kidger, Brown, Finnigan, Newton, Senior, Campbell, Chapman, Downes, Golton, Hart-Brooke, Lay.