Labour’s labour agenda—and a European reset

A worker-centred agenda from the new UK government could counterbalance the European shift to the right.

For many, 2024 is proving to be ‘election year’. In the European Union and the United Kingdom we may witness paradigm shifts in the politics of regulation of working conditions and workers’ rights.

The elections to the European Parliament last month saw a turn to the right. The dedicated sponsor of citizens’ rights and Europe-wide democracy is now a more fragmented institution, with an increasing presence of far-right, nationalist, Eurosceptic and populist parties and MEPs. This could lead to a ‘race to the bottom’ on workers’ rights and working conditions, as evidenced by these parties’ historical opposition to legislative changes aimed at improvements in these areas.

This trend could jeopardise the progress made by EU institutions in realising the European social model, potentially leading to a decline in the standard of living and quality of work for many European workers. This should be a matter of concern, considering also how far-right parties have increased their vote shares significantly in some recent national elections, attracting interest and support from blue-collar workers and low-income populations. This is also likely to have a knock-on effect on high-level policy agendas and adoption of EU laws that relate to work, and on how these are implemented by member states.

A backlash has not only been in evidence on EU policies related to climate change / biodiversity and people movement. Far-right parties have also abstained on or strongly opposed measures to hold companies accountable for maintaining fair labour practices across their supply chains, as seen during the negotiations of the corporate-sustainability due-diligence directive. A similar trend was evident during the deliberations on the platform-work directive.

Their divisive rhetoric has hampered worker empowerment, trade-union activities and collective bargaining. But we have been here before. When legislative changes have focused on driving improvements to working conditions, enhancing collective bargaining and protecting working people, far-right parties have found hardly any traction.

Different landscape

The UK’s political landscape, meanwhile, has undergone a very different change. With the Labour Party securing a substantial parliamentary majority after this month’s general election, there is renewed hope for employment and industrial-relations reforms, putting workers back at the heart of policies after 14 years of Conservative rule. The party manifesto, ‘Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People’, outlined ambitious goals for good jobs and productivity growth, plus commitment to an ‘improved and ambitious relationship with the European partners’.

This could include simplifying the existing three categories of employees, workers and the self-employed in UK labour law into a new regime of workers and the (genuinely) self-employed. Other proposals on the table include:

• a single enforcement body for workers’ rights, also known as a Fair Work Agency;
• more flexible hours for workers, a ban on exploitative zero-hour contracts, consultation before introducing workplace surveillance and a ‘right to disconnect’;
• improvements to legislation affecting occupational safety and health and trade unions’ ability to carry out their work, and
• a duty to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, including by third parties, and menopause action plans in the workplace.

If these and other initiatives were progressed, Labour in government would help to bring workers’ rights and working conditions in line with EU employment and social standards. Since ‘Brexit’ the UK has lagged considerably behind—missing out, for instance, on the 2022 minimum-wages directive, including its commitment to boosting collective bargaining.

Labour’s foreign policy may meanwhile imply a shift in the UK’s capacity to exercise positive influence at EU level, whether with progressive labour-market policies or as part of trade and investment relationships with a stronger emphasis on labour rights. Lessons could also be learned if the UK were to set more stringent standards and protections for new forms of employment, work-life balance or workers’ health and safety.

Amid digitalisation, new technologies, growing flexibility and fragmentation of work affecting EU labour markets, it is as yet unknown how much impact the right turn in the European elections will have on the union’s employment policies and those of member states. Very clear though is that the European institutions, with allies such as the UK, should place a stronger focus on empowering workers, expanding their rights and strengthening their voice. After all the EU has to adhere to its treaty commitments to improving living and working conditions for all workers across the union.