Sarwar to push workers’ rights shift in pitch to trade unions

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will stress his party’s plans to strengthen workers’ rights after the next election in a speech to Scotland’s biggest trade union body on Monday.

Labour has touted its new deal for working people – which would scrap zero hour contracts, increase the living wage and end fire and rehire practices – if the party wins the next election.

Ahead of a speech to the STUC congress in Dundee on Monday, the party’s leader north of the border said the policy would represent “the greatest transfer of wealth and power into the hands of working people and their families”.

Mr Sarwar also praised the party’s under-fire deputy leader Angela Rayner – the architect of the policy – describing her as “indomitable” and the shift as a fundamental rewriting of employment rules.

“Labour’s New Deal for Working People is opposed by the Tories at Westminster and by the SNP at Holyrood – but it will be supported and implemented by the people of the UK,” he said.

“The need for a government on the side of working people could not be clearer and that is what is on offer at this election whenever the Tories pluck up the nerve to call it.

“A Labour government with Scottish Labour trade unionist MPs at its core, fighting for their country, community and class at the heart of government.

“An end to 17 years of Tory sleaze and failure.

“An end to unfair working practices and an end to the politics of despair and division.”

STUC president Roz Foyer welcomed Mr Sarwar’s “recommitment” to the policy, but pushed the party to implement it within the first 100 days of a Labour government.

“The STUC and trade unions across the country have been clear that this pledge is our number one priority and non-negotiable,” she added.

“The new deal has the potential to be completely transformational for working people across these isles, tipping the balance of power into the hands of workers, not the employers.

“We look forward to and indeed expect any incoming UK Labour government to deliver their pledge within the first 100 days of government.

“After almost 15 years of excruciating Tory Government, working people can ill afford any further delay.”

Mr Sarwar’s speech comes before First Minister Humza Yousaf is due to address the congress on Tuesday.

The SNP leader is also expected to make an election pitch at the event, pitting his party against Labour and stressing the election will be a “choice of values”.

SNP MP David Linden – the party’s social justice spokesman – said the Scottish Government could have taken action on workers’ rights if employment law was devolved to Holyrood.

“We could rewrite the rules of work and reverse punitive anti-trade union laws in Scotland now if the Labour party hadn’t, time and time again, sided with the Tories to block the devolution of employment law to Scotland,” he said.

“Labour could help us secure results for workers if they really wanted to, but they’ve proved they’re more interested in propping up the Westminster status quo than they are in affecting the real change people desperately need.

“Only a vote for the SNP can secure results for workers who’ve been subjected to the cruel policies of the Tories who’ve sought to make life a misery for people fighting for basic improvements to their working conditions.”

Scottish Tory finance spokeswoman Liz Smith said the Scottish Government’s “high-tax and low growth economy” was “harming Scotland’s already sluggish economic growth”.

She added: “Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour should commit to cutting taxes for workers and ensuring that there are incentives for people to call Scotland home.”