John McDonnell moved Labour towards an election war footing today with a string of new pledges to give workers and union bosses more power.
The shadow chancellor announced that a Labour government would give “gig economy” workers the same rights as full employees, including on sick pay, parental leave and protections against unfair dismissal.
In an address to the Trades Union Congress conference in Manchester, Mr McDonnell was due to argue that it was time to “tip the balance” back towards workers and unions and away from employers and shareholders.
“If we want people treated fairly at work, they should have equal rights from day one,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Experts, though, have warned that job numbers could fall if gig economy workers were given equal rights. The Government is also considering how to better protect gig economy workers.
Mr McDonnell unveiled the plans as part of a package that also included repealing “anti-trade union” legislation and strengthening trade union rights; creating employee ownership funds where staff at larger firms would be given shares so they would have a stake in the profits and management of firms; giving workers a seat at the Cabinet table with a Ministry of Labour.
Labour is preparing for a snap election over the Brexit crisis and is seeking to draw a line under the anti-Semitism scandal.
