Meg's Hackney Gazette Column: Improving lives of workers

Hackney has always been a hub for hard work and creativity. From the buzzing markets and small businesses in Ridley Road and Mare Street to the tech start-ups in Shoreditch, work is at the heart of what makes our borough tick. But too often, workers have been let down by insecure contracts, poor protections, and outdated laws. 

That is why the Government’s new Employment Rights Bill is a game changer. It marks the biggest reforms to workplace rights in a generation. And it matters for Hackney. 

Too many local people know the pain of exploitative zero-hours contracts, where shifts are cancelled last minute but bills still have to be paid. This Bill ends that practice once and for all. It also strengthens statutory sick pay, so no one in Hackney is forced to choose between their health and their rent. 

The Bill cracks down on harassment in the workplace so Hackney’s diverse and vibrant workforce are safer and stronger. It also bans ‘fire and rehire’ tactics and introduces day-one rights for parental, paternity, and bereavement leave. For the many young families in Hackney, this means no one loses out simply because they haven’t clocked up enough time with a new employer.  

There’s also more good news for women as there will now be stronger rights for when you’re pregnant and, for the first time, large employers will be required to draw up menopause action plans – making sure no woman feels she can’t work because of her age and stage in life. The extension of bereavement leave to include pregnancy loss up to 24 weeks is a change long overdue, offering compassion when it’s needed most. 

A healthier, happier workforce isn’t just good for employees but good for employers too. With stronger rights, we’ll see higher staff retention and lower recruitment costs, something Hackney’s small businesses tell me they want and need. 

Labour has always been the party of working people. With this Bill, we are once again proving it – putting security, dignity, and wellbeing at the centre of working life here in Hackney and across the country.