Equity welcomes amendments to proposed employment rights legislation

Performers’ union Equity has backed government moves to bolster elements of the Employment Rights Bill going through parliament.

The union said that among some 250 amendments laid this week, zero-hours protections will be extended to agency workers, rights in cases of fire-and-rehire will be strengthened and anti-union legislation will be rolled back.

“The amendments make further inroads into the mesh of complex rules governing industrial action, which have long hamstrung unions from taking effective strike and other industrial action,” the union said.

“These measures come off the back of the government’s consultation on the topic late last year, to which Equity responded emphasising the need to simplify notice requirements and introduce e-balloting. We are pleased to see the government now laying measures to push ahead with both.

“We understand the government will establish a working group on introducing e-balloting and we look forward to engaging in that forum.

“Measures to extend the expiry of a mandate for industrial action, from six to 12 months, and shorten the notice period for industrial action will also go some way in easing anti-union measures hampering effective industrial relations.”