10 March 2017

Women, more likely to work in low-paid sectors, have been hit particularly hard by the worrying march towards Sports Direct-style models of business; adding to the strain of increasing pregnant and maternal discrimination against new mothers and the difficulties mothers face finding flexible work on civilised terms.

This trend has been barely mitigated by the UK’s weakened labour laws. The Tory review of rights being conducted by Taylor will not consider let alone deliver what is needed. But there is an alternative. The Institute of Employment Rights calls for the reform of UK laws to reshape the world of work.

In our Manifesto for Labour Law - 25 recommendations, the principles of which have been adopted by the Labour Party - we call for minimum pay and conditions to be collectively agreed at sectoral levels and built on at enterprise levels; a universal status of worker to ensure all people in employment are eligible for the full suite of workers’ rights from day one; and representation for workers at all levels of the economy: all the way from a seat on company boards to the establishment of a Ministry of Labour and National Economic Forum to scrutinise the impact of policy on all sections of the populace.

In particular, to resist still firmly entrenched gender inequalities in the workplace, we call for maternity pay to be increased to full pay for the first six months of maternity leave and for parental leave to be fully flexible in order that it can be shared between parents, to help keep women in the workforce. We also call for career breaks for workers of up to five years to care for children up to the age of 18, and stronger provisions for flexible working, as well as better enforcement of equality laws to ensure women are provided equal opportunities in the workplace.

Join the call for a real review of UK laws, and the full implementation of our Manifesto for Labour Law

Originally published for Women's TUC for International Women's Day