Commenting on reports today (Friday) in The Times on business calls to scale back Labour’s New Deal for Working People, alongside a poll showing the plans are “extremely popular” with the public, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Employers need to get on board with Labour’s New Deal for Working People – and good employers will.

“14 long years of Conservative government have seen an explosion in low-paid, insecure work – with almost 4 million people in insecure jobs and over 1 million on zero hours contracts.

“Living standards have been battered – and after months of stagnating, our economy has slipped into recession.

“The UK’s long experiment with a low-rights, low-wage economy is a complete failure. The Tories’ lack of an economic plan for jobs, growth and living standards has cost workers and industry dear.

“Labour’s New Deal for Working People stands in stark contrast to the Conservative’s dire record.

“A ban on zero hours contracts, an end to fire and rehire, and stronger flexible working rights – these are just some of the transformative policies Labour is promising with an employment bill in its first 100 days.

“And it would be good for our economy too. Decent, secure jobs are essential to building a motivated, healthy, innovative workforce – all vital for high productivity growth.

“That’s why good employers will embrace Labour’s economic reset and work with unions to boost productivity, skills and security at work.”