‘A vote for Labour is a vote for the rights of working people’

It’s pay day weekend for millions of people, the first of the financial year when they’ll see their wages increase as a result of this Labour government. It’s also International Workers Day when we celebrate the contribution of all those people who keep our country going.

Labour is and always has been the Party of workers, founded by workers who wanted a fairer deal, better pay and safer conditions, banding together to take on vested interests and challenge a status quo that didn’t work for them.

Today’s Labour Party lives that legacy as we put Labour values into action in government.

We see this in the Employment Rights Act, born of the Labour movement – unions and members working together to turn the page on decades of insecure work and low pay damaging our economy and society.

READ MORE: ‘The Employment Rights Bill is a massive step forward – but we’re not done delivering for working people’

The changes we’re bringing in will be game changing for so many – protection from unfair dismissal from day one. Stronger sick pay when people need it most. Expanded bereavement leave. A ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts, an end to fire and rehire. Real action against sexual harassment at work. Stronger protections for pregnant workers and meaningful steps to tackle the gender pay gap, making a real difference for women in workplaces across the country.

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Taken together with increases in wages, measures to freeze rail fares and cap bus travel, this is a transformative agenda to make work pay. It raises the floor for millions of workers and begins to reshape the world of work so that it is fairer, more secure, and more respectful.

I’m working with Ministers, unions and workers to make sure that our manifesto promise lives up to the promise of change we made to working people as we implement it.

As we look to big elections across the country next Thursday the Employment Rights Act is a key reason to help persuade people to vote Labour. Putting ordinary people ahead of powerful vested interests. And to highlight the risk of voting for another Party.

Every step of the way, these measures were opposed by the Tories and Reform and the Greens in the House of Lords. Reform have gone even further – openly pledging to repeal the Employment Rights Act altogether if they get into government, ripping these hard-won rights away from workers.

We cannot allow that to happen. Because this is a fight for our values. It’s about whose side we are on.

Labour is raising standards, strengthening rights, and delivering a fairer deal for working people. Nigel Farage would put all of that at risk.

So as people head to the polls – before work, after work, or in the middle of busy lives – the choice could not be clearer.

A vote for Labour is a vote in favour of protecting and strengthening the rights of working people.

If you’re a Labour supporter, please make sure you get out on the doorstep ahead of polling day to help us make sure as many people know about the choice they face as possible.

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