Valerie Chairs Employment Rights Bill Committee

In November and December, I chaired five sessions of the Employment Rights Public Bill Committee, including an evidence session, 26 November, 3 December, 12 December – two sessions, 17 December.

The Employment Right Bill seeks to: ensure that jobs provide a baseline of security for workers, prioritise fairness, equality and wellbeing of workers, ensure workers get fair pay for a fair day’s work, modernise trade union legislation giving trade unions greater freedom to organise, represent
and negotiate on behalf of their workers, improve enforcement of employment rights and establish the Fair Work Agency to bring together existing state enforcement functions including the enforcement of the National Minimum Wage and Statutory Sick Pay. The Fair Work Agency will also incorporate a wider range of employment rights, such as holiday pay.

The House of Commons appoints committees to consider proposed legislation in detail,  line by line. Once the committee finishes looking at the Bill, it will report its conclusions and any amendments made to the House where it will be debated further on the next stages of the Bill.