TUC urges government to deliver employment rights bill 'in full'

Workers face two-year wait for several new rights

Business groups urge changes to workers' rights bill

The bill would be a major shake-up of workers' rights, which would include protection against unfair dismissal, and a ban on "exploitative" zero-hours contracts.

Speaking at the TUC congress in Brighton, TUC general secretary Paul Novak told the

This comes as a senior Labour MP told the

The MP warned: ''Many Labour colleagues fear that with the economy under strain, ministers may be tempted to drag their feet on implementation as an olive branch to business.''

Concern is coming from unions on the right of the trade union movement, not the usual suspects who might be expected to criticise the government.

Mr Novak said the bill "will give a massive boost to rights for millions of working people in this country, lots of whom are in insecure, low-paid employment".

"My message to the government is, stay on course, deliver the employment rights bill, and deliver it in full," he said.

He also pushed back on the idea the government could make concessions to business in the legislation

"I think that's the last thing government should countenance", Mr Novak said.

"Having people in well-paid, secure employment is good for everybody. It's good for workers, but it's also good for the good employers who are being undercut

At the Trades Union Congress, senior union figures have been voicing their concerns that the Bill will be watered down following the departure of Angela Rayner, the sacking of Justin Madders as Employment Minister and the decision to move Jonathan Reynolds from the Business brief to Chief Whip.

USDAW represents more than 300,000 workers, many of whom work in supermarkets, factories and warehouses.

The union is concerned that an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill, which was added

The amendment seeks to change the Bill from a requirement for an employer to offer guaranteed hours to a right to request guaranteed hours

The union is concerned that this would be a weakening of their members' rights because there would no longer be a right to a contract that reflects their normal hours of work.

The Federation of Small Businesses has told the

"In some of our recent polling of members, 92% of employers said they were worried about this legislation. We have never got to that level in a poll", said Craig Beaumont, director of policy at the FSB.

"They are overwhelmed

Mr Beaumont said that Rayner's resignation and the sacking of employment minister Madders - two key government supporters of the bill - could allow for some compromise.