Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices

I am very happy to intervene. I criticised the Government for failing to prioritise workers' rights, questioning how they can consider them less important than other matters. Mr McDonald emphasised the need for strong government intervention to protect workers' rights, citing failures in workplace health and safety during the pandemic. He noted that 185 convictions were secured last year—a significant drop from previous years—and highlighted the importance of proper funding for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which has been cut by £100 million over a decade. He also discussed Labour's Green Paper on employment rights, advocating for policies such as fair pay agreements, reinstituting sectoral collective bargaining, and ending exploitative practices like bogus self-employment. How does our statutory sick pay compare with that of our European competitors?

Thanked the right hon. Lady for giving way and criticised the Government for not delivering an employment Bill as promised, highlighting a lack of progress on workers' rights compared to Europe. She highlighted the detrimental effects of insecure work during the covid-19 crisis, emphasising that black, Asian and minority ethnic workers, as well as women, face a disproportionate burden. She also praised the UK Supreme Court's ruling on Uber drivers but criticised Taylor's proposals for maintaining multiple worker categories.

Claudia Webbe highlighted the failure of the Government to implement recommendations from the Taylor review regarding zero-hours contracts. She noted that one million UK workers are on such contracts, with women of colour disproportionately affected. The MP also discussed exploitative practices in Leicester's garment industry and called for a ban on zero-hours contracts.

The Member congratulated the hon. Friend on securing a timely debate and expressed disappointment with the Taylor review, arguing it was a failure and that the Government has shown disrespect to workers since 2017. Asked the right hon. Member if she would give way, and later questioned her about the Government's failure to deliver on promises regarding workers' rights post-Brexit. Mr Lavery discussed the need for decent working conditions, including fair wages and terms that support families. He criticised the lack of progress on implementing recommendations from the Taylor review, mentioning issues like fire-and-rehire practices which can result in significant wage cuts. He highlighted that 61% of employees surveyed worked while unwell due to fear of financial repercussions or job loss. The Minister is praising the Taylor review and its recommendations, so why have the Government only legislated for seven of the 53 recommendations since 2017? Additionally, Mr. Lavery asked if the Minister would give way.

He welcomed the guidelines of the Government under the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), back in 2016, for introducing the Taylor review of modern employment practices and highlighted that there were approximately 907,000 people on zero-hours contracts as of 2016, with 3.2 million workers lacking access to basic pay and employment rights. He also mentioned that in Northern Ireland, specifically, there are 14,000 people on zero-hours contracts and stressed the need for better provisions for workers through Government and trade unions.

He agreed with his colleagues that the Taylor Review did not go far enough in tackling workplace injustices. He raised concerns about zero-hours contracts, noting that one million workers are on such contracts and many feel underemployed, often working multiple jobs. He criticised the Government for blocking a private Member's Bill on fire and rehire practices. He also highlighted Matthew Taylor's criticism of the deceleration of the government reform agenda. Grateful for the Minister's willingness to address interventions, questioning when the rest of the Taylor Review recommendations will be implemented.

Ms Blackman argued that the Taylor review's recommendations have not been implemented adequately, highlighting issues such as insecure employment, low wages, and the widening gender pay gap. She criticised the national living wage for being insufficient and stressed the importance of flexible work requests from day one for pregnant individuals, carers, and disabled workers.

Maria Miller highlighted the importance of scrutinising employment progress since the Taylor Review's publication in 2017. She acknowledged the significant changes brought about by the pandemic and Brexit, emphasizing the need for a strong economy and effective use of workers' skills to recover from economic downturns. Miller noted that many issues raised in the Taylor Review remain unresolved, such as maternity discrimination (three quarters of mothers experience negative or discriminatory actions) and age discrimination. She also questioned whether the Government's response would address family-related leave and pay, non-disclosure agreements in workplaces, and the status of the single enforcement body. She intervened to note that the furlough scheme will have saved many thousands of jobs, pointing out a very real support in a real-time crisis.

He welcomed the Taylor review's recognition of the need to reform existing working practices but called for more comprehensive measures. He advocated for reinstating sectoral collective bargaining and proposed abolishing the three-tier system for employment status to grant every worker fundamental rights from day one. Zero-hours contracts were prevalent before the pandemic and should not be blamed solely on it; there has been massive exploitation of such contracts.

The MP thanked the hon. Friend for securing an important debate and highlighted that gas workers, airways workers, and those in warehouses are suffering from fire and rehire practices.

An intervention was briefly mentioned supporting the lead MP's stance on fire-and-rehire practices.