Is Keir Starmer set to U-turn and water down his New Deal for workers? trends now
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Labour denied yesterday that it will water down its package of workers' rights despite claims the party is set to unveil a weakened plan within weeks.
Under pressure from businesses, shadow ministers have reportedly been discussing how to allay concerns and tone down some of the pledges.
The New Deal for Working People, proposed by Angela Rayner in 2021, contains a series of radical changes to workplace rights – from banning zero-hour contracts to ensuring workers get regular hours for 12 weeks or more.
It also contains pledges to give workers a 'right to switch off' and not be contacted outside working hours, as well as making flexible working 'a day one right'.
But it was reported yesterday that a 'finessed' package of measures would be published within weeks, which is set to anger some trade unionists but please businesses.
Angela Rayner and Keir Starmer attend a Labour event at Harlow Town FC in Essex yesterday
'The whole tone of everything they've been saying on workers' rights has been attempting to be constructive compared to a couple of months ago,' a lobbyist told the Financial Times.
Shadow ministers are expected to hold talks with union chiefs to seek their approval for the new version of the plan, party figures told the paper.
But a spokesman for Sir Keir Starmer yesterday
