At their meeting last week, Sefton councillors voted in favour of a Notice of Motion to support the Government’s Employment Rights Act.

Proposed by Cllr Christine Howard, the Council Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, the motion welcomes the security, better pay and dignity that Employment Rights Act will deliver for Sefton residents. It also commits the Council to continue working ‘in a spirit of partnership with our trade unions to deliver the best outcomes for our workforce’.

Accredited as a fair employer

Cllr Howard said: “Sefton Council has led the way as an employer locally and was last year been accredited as a Liverpool City Region fair employer.

“We are committed to paying the Real Living Wage and ensuring that trade unions are always offered a seat at the decision-making table.

“The Government’s new Employment Rights Act will strengthen that work and the protections that are in place and will help end zero-hours contracts.

“It will help tackle the problems of low pay and insecure employment through measures such as a ban on ‘zero-hours’ contracts, requiring reasonable notice for shifts and compensation for shift changes, and these protections will include agency workers.

“'Fire and Rehire' will be banned and employees will be entitled to sick pay from the first day of absence, instead of from the fourth and the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims will be reduced from two years to six months.

“Employees will also have rights to paternity, parental and bereavement leave from day one.”

Other measure contained in the Act include the creation of a national Fair Work Agency better access to workplaces for unions and better access to flexible working.

Loyal staff, improved productivity and lower costs

Cllr Paulette Lappin, who seconded the Notice of Motion and who is the Council’s Cabinet member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills said:  “We work closely with a lot of local employers through our Sefton@Work and InvestSefton teams and we know the ones who respect and encourage their employees’ rights are the ones who have loyal staff, improved productivity and lower costs for recruitment.

“So, Sefton’s workers, Sefton’s companies and Sefton’s economy all win from the kinds of measure the Employment Rights Act contains.”

At the meeting, 39 councillors voted to support of the Notice of Motion, two opposed it and six abstained.

You can find papers and agenda and a wewbcast of the meeting here.