Melanie Ward MP: employment Rights Bill is one part of our plan to make work pay

It was our party who introduced the National Minimum Wage in 1998 and, once again, we have ensured that the lowest paid workers in Fife are receiving a pay rise that will help combat the cost of living.

This week, the National Living Wage for those over 21 increases to £12.21 per hour, a real terms pay rise of up to £1,400 per year, while those aged 18 to 20 will get a record 16.2% increase to take them to £10 per hour. Workers under 18 see their pay increased by 18% to £7.55 per hour; the same for the Apprentice Rate.

At the same time, our Employment Rights Bill is making its way through Parliament, ending exploitative zero-hour contracts, strengthening rights to paternity and bereavement leave and increasing accountability for sexual harassment at work.

We’re making sure you get statutory sick pay from day one, so you’re not left waiting to get the support you need. And we’re lowering the earnings threshold too, so part-time workers who currently miss out will finally be eligible.

We are also making sure all parents of children in neonatal care are entitled to time off, while their newborn babies remain in hospital, meaning around 60,000 new parents will be able to stay with their children during neonatal care.

We’re also targeting some of the worst issues in the modern workplace, starting with banning exploitative zero-hours contracts. Everyone deserves to know when they’re working. The days of waiting by the phone, not knowing if you’ll get a shift or having one cancelled at the last minute, are coming to an end.

And we’re putting a stop to fire-and-rehire, a tactic used by some employers to sack staff and bring them back but for worse pay and conditions. It’s not on, it’s not fair and under Labour, it will be illegal.

This bill will give workers the right to bereavement leave from the very first day in their job.

Here in Fife, we have many fantastic employers who respond with compassion and sensitivity to their workers’ needs, but support like this should not be left to chance. It is time the law caught up. Everyone deserves the time and space to grieve without worrying about work or pay.

Shamefully, both the Conservatives and Reform UK voted against giving people these basic rights. They had the chance to stand with working people and they chose not to. I was proud to vote in favour of the bill — and proud to be part of a Labour Party in government that is delivering for working people.

The Employment Rights Bill is just one part of our plan to make work pay and make life fairer for workers across the country. Because everyone deserves fair treatment at work — and Labour is delivering it.