Rayner vows union and business ‘partnership’ after New Deal summit

Angela Rayner has pledged “a new era of partnership” following a meeting between the government, trade unions and business leaders to discuss Labour’s plans to strengthen workers’ rights and “make work pay”.

The deputy Prime Minister met today with representatives from organisations including the TUC, UNISON, Unite, the British Chambers of Commerce and the Confederation of British Industry, alongside Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

The Department for Business and Trade said attendees “agreed to wipe the slate clean and begin a new relationship of respect and collaboration” to help deliver on the Labour government’s mission to kickstart economic growth.

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The department said the meeting covered Labour’s employment rights bill, details of which were set out in the King’s Speech last month, as well as the party’s wider ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’, the new title of its long-pledged New Deal for Working People.

Commenting on the meeting, Rayner said: “Our Plan to Make Work Pay will bring together workers and businesses, both big and small and across different industries, for the good of the economy.

“This first-of-its-kind meeting has kicked off a new era of partnership that will bring benefits to everyone across the country striving to build a better life.”

The Department for Business and Trade said “further engagement” is planned to discuss the detail of the Plan to Make Work Pay, which will see trade unions and business representatives invited to similar meetings and able to share insights through upcoming consultations.

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Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “For too long, the valuable insights of business and trade unions have been ignored by government, even on past decisions which have directly impacted them.

“Business and workers will always help to shape the ambitions of government including our Plan to Make Work Pay, to ensure it boosts economic growth and creates better working conditions for all.”

Meeting attendee Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said: “The government’s Plan to Make Work Pay, including the introduction of an employment rights bill within its first 100 days, can set our economy on a path towards higher growth and better living standards.

“Today’s meeting was an important chance for unions and businesses to discuss the shared gains that the government’s reforms will bring, and we look forward to continued close working as ministers implement their plans.

“Together, we can raise the floor so that every job has the pay and security that families need to thrive, workers have access to unions, and good employers are not undercut by the bad.”

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Fellow attendee Jane Gratton, deputy director of public policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “It was important to be in the room today to represent the views of business, and to emphasise that the government needs to genuinely listen as it develops its plans.

“Our members are clear that their employees deserve high standards of protection, but it’s important to guard against any unintended consequences of the proposed changes.

“This will require thorough and detailed consultation with firms of all sizes. The government must take its time, engage with employers and ensure that any changes are proportionate and affordable for businesses.”

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