“Chapter 4A

Uma Kumaran Excerpts

Tuesday 11th March 2025 Commons Chamber

Amendment 283 would place a commencement block on clauses 1 to 6. We believe that those clauses should not come into force until the review required by new clause 83 has been approved by Parliament. Both businesses and employees will struggle when claims are brought because of the confusion created by the Bill if the employment tribunal is not able to cope with the increased caseload.

[Uma Kumaran (Stratford and Bow) (Lab)]

Will the shadow Minister give way?

[Greg Smith]

I will happily give way in one moment. Government Members should have their eyes open to the consequences of this badly thought out legislation. Perhaps the hon. Lady will open her eyes to that point.

--- Later in debate ---

[Uma Kumaran]

These measures will ensure protections for all the 2.4 million people in the UK with irregular work patterns, be it zero-hours contracts or agency contracts. Can the shadow Minister tell the House why he thinks agency workers do not deserve the same protections as everyone else?

[Greg Smith]

The hon. Lady makes a point that she made in Committee. It was good to debate with her and others in Committee—we had a genuine and robust debate. What I am arguing for is flexibility and a recognition of how the employment market and our economy works in real life. To treat everything with one universal rule will be a disaster for our economy. I fear that it will result in fewer people in work and fewer jobs in the economy, and it certainly will not deliver the growth that this Government pretend they want to see.