Employment Rights Bill Report Stage: New Clause 39

Parliament voted on 12 March 2025 to pass New Clause 39 of the Employment Rights Bill at Report Stage, by 337 votes to 98. The clause was part of a package of government amendments covering parts 4 and 5 of the Bill, dealing with trade union law and employment enforcement. The government won decisively, with the result reflecting its substantial Commons majority.

New Clause 39 formed part of a broader set of government amendments described by ministers as modernising the industrial relations framework. The wider package included changes to industrial action ballot thresholds, notice requirements for employers ahead of ballots, the period for which a ballot result remains effective, and the enforcement powers of the newly created Fair Work Agency. The amendments also extended the Fair Work Agency's remit to cover statutory sick pay and holiday pay enforcement, and brought Northern Ireland statutory sick pay legislation into scope, subject to consent from the Northern Ireland Executive. Ministers framed these as practical improvements designed to make the Bill work better for workers and businesses.

Party divisions were clear and consistent with the bill's broader passage. Labour and Labour and Co-operative members voted unanimously in favour, alongside the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, the Greens, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, the Democratic Unionist Party, and a majority of independents. All 95 Conservative members who voted opposed the clause, joined by all six Reform UK members who voted, and one independent. There were no notable cross-party rebellions in either direction.