We’re committed to making work pay for you

The award aims to celebrate the outstanding work trades apprentices all over the UK are doing within their workplace

It’s a sign of just how seriously this Labour Government takes employment rights and family life. The Employment Rights Bill is making its way through the UK Parliament and will deliver the biggest upgrade to employment rights in a generation.

It includes ambitious proposals on new workplace entitlements for parents, including new protections from dismissal for pregnant women, introducing rights to unpaid bereavement leave, to request flexible working, and making entitlements to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave take effect from the first day of employment.

The bill will also make work more secure by banning exploitative zero hours contracts, ending the scandalous practice of “fire-and-rehire” and providing day one protections from unfair dismissal.

Furthermore, it will improve access to sick pay and reinforce tipping laws – by requiring that staff are consulted on tipping policies – to make sure that hospitality workers receive their tips. It’s got the overwhelming support of the public, with a poll released this week revealing that over 70 per cent of voters support the protections contained within the bill.

It’s all part of our overarching aim to Make Work Pay. As part of this, we’re also raising the minimum wage by 6.7 per cent, which will deliver a pay rise from April for 200,000 of the lowest paid Scots. As we saw in the pandemic, it’s often those on the lowest pay who are the most vital to the day-to-day running of our society. It’s right to recognise that contribution and ensure that everyone gets fair pay.

It’s a particularly relevant discussion this week because it’s Heart Unions week, a campaign led by the TUC to highlight the work unions do on workers rights. There’s no doubting the importance of unions to the success of businesses, the wider economy and workers.

But businesses and workers also need access to improved skills infrastructure. In Scotland, we need to match the efforts the UK Labour Government are making south of the border (skills policy is devolved) to combat the skills shortage hampering the economy. The SNP says it wants to transform Scotland’s economy – to boost wages and productivity and grow key sectors. But in the face of the skills gaps across our economy Skills Development Scotland has seen its budget cut in the most recent Scottish Budget.

Many sectors I have met talk about the Wither Review on skills that was published by the Scottish Government in 2023 but has not been implemented in any way as yet. We need to get a move on with these huge structural issues that have been talked about for too long.

And to deliver the jobs of the future, we need to work closely with business. We have already held a consultation on a new industrial strategy, Invest 2035, which will foster a pro-business environment and create the stable launchpad businesses require to invest, create jobs and opportunities of the future. With business, unions and government working together, we can create good jobs and drive growth.

Ian Murray is MP for Edinburgh South and Secretary of State for Scotland