Unelected peers have no right to block workers’ rights

This is a Bill that would transform the lives of workers across the North – ending zero-hours contracts, introducing day-one rights against unfair dismissal, and delivering long-overdue protections for those in insecure work. 

But unelected peers – many of them hereditary – chose to stand in the way.

Rather than support common-sense measures that voters across the political spectrum want, Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers backed amendments that weaken the Bill.

They voted to scrap the outright ban on zero-hours contracts and instead allow employers to carry on offering precarious work, with only a vague “right to request” guaranteed hours.

They also pushed through a six-month qualifying period before workers could claim unfair dismissal – undermining the government’s promise of protection from day one. 

That’s not all: amendments also aimed to undermine pay for teaching assistants and carve out exemptions on child employment. Let’s be clear, these changes do not reflect the will of the people.

Polling shows overwhelming support for stronger workers’ rights – including from Conservative and Reform voters. Every single constituency in the UK, including those in our region, backs a ban on zero-hours contracts and the right to sick pay and protection from dismissal from the first day on the job.

Yet in the Lords, over 40 of those voting to block change weren’t elected at all – they were hereditary peers, sitting in Parliament because of who their ancestors were. That should have no place in a modern democracy. It’s outrageous that workers in Newcastle, Hull or Sheffield are seeing their rights held back by people whose only qualification is their family tree.

These peers are defending a broken status quo. They’ve sided with exploitative employers who rely on insecure work to boost their profits. By defying the public mandate given to the Labour government, they’re undermining the basic principles of democracy.

Labour promised these reforms in its manifesto – the same manifesto that won an overwhelming majority in Parliament. The Lords is meant to scrutinise legislation, not sabotage the democratic will of the people. Episodes like this will continue to raise questions about its relevance as an institution.

In the North East, we know better than most how vital secure work is. From zero-hours contracts in social care to casualised work in retail and hospitality, too many workers in the North still face low pay, insecurity and exploitation. Estimates from the Institute of Employment Rights would suggest as many 1 in 10, or half a million people are in insecure work. 

The Employment Rights Bill offers a route to change – but only if it’s delivered in full.

This September, the Bill will return to the Commons. The government must stand firm. It must reject these cynical attempts to water down the rights of millions. It must send a message that in today’s Britain, we put working people first – not the privileged few in ermine robes.

The time for excuses is over. Working people need real rights – and they need them now.

First published in the Journal (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), 4 August 2025