You Said, We Did

You said

“We need better protections against unfair work practices such as fire and rehire.”

We did

In 2017 the CWU launched its New Deal for Workers campaign, demanding an end to exploitative employment practices and a fairer settlement for working people. Since then, with the backing of our members, we have worked through the TUC and directly with government to push for meaningful legislative change.

This year, those efforts paid off. The government introduced the Employment Rights Bill, which reflects many of the demands that CWU and the wider movement have campaigned for. The Bill:

  • Makes fire and rehire practices automatically unfair in most circumstances, preventing employers from dismissing staff simply to re-engage them on worse terms.
  • Establishes a new statutory Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement, requiring employers to follow fair procedures. Where they fail, tribunals can increase compensation by up to 25%.
  • Strengthens protections against unfair dismissal, reducing qualifying periods so workers gain protection earlier in their employment.
  • Improves rights for pregnant workers, whistleblowers, and new starters, and removes outdated restrictions on trade union organising.

We are continuing to monitor the Bill’s passage through Parliament, resisting attempts to dilute these protections, and ensuring that the final legislation delivers real, enforceable rights for working people.

Information trail: