27 July 2016

IER welcome the adoption of our policy proposals as developed at the request of Jeremy Corbyn's team in their determination to restructure workers' rights

We welcome Smith's engagement with our policies and are delighted to see his conversion to a progressive alternative for Britain.

Among his proposals were the IER's creation of a Ministry for Labour and a return to sectoral collective bargaining – both of which appear in the IER's Manifesto for Labour Law as launched by John McDonnell in June. He also called for the reinstitution of wage councils to lift income in the retail and care sectors, which is covered in the Manifesto by the IER's proposed Sectoral Employment Commissions; and the repeal of restrictive trade union laws, covered by the IER proposal to scrap the Trade Union Act and return the right to strike.

On 28 June, the IER launched its Manifesto at Westminster, where it was backed by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and Shadow Minister for Trade Unions Ian Lavery.

A spokesman for the Jeremy for Labour campaign, said: "We welcome Owen’s focus on equality of outcome, reindustrialisation and workers’ rights…We are delighted that he has echoed John McDonnell’s call for the reinstatement of a Ministry of Labour, made last month at the Institute of Employment Rights.”

Read more on our Manifesto and support our policies here