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Keir Starmer is facing backbench anger after ministers dropped proposals to give workers immediate safeguards against unfair dismissal, a reversal violating the campaign commitments.

Parliamentarians Raise Alarms

MPs including a former minister who led the worker protection legislation have voiced concerns regarding the retreat announced by the government.

Cabinet members have removed the plan to scrap the 24-month eligibility timeframe for workers to file wrongful termination cases and allow them to do so from the first day in a new job, in an attempt to pass the legislation through parliament.

Legislative Deadlock

The bill was caught in a confrontation among the House of Lords and Commons regarding the initial proposal to offer labor protections from the start, along with provisions to ban "exploitative" zero-hours contracts.

Ministers currently plan to implement the entitlement concerning unjust firing post six-month work period instead, although additional first-day entitlements to paternity leave and health-related payments remain scheduled to proceed, taking effect in spring 2026.

Backlash and Criticism

The parliamentary representative for the Teesside area labeled the action as a "complete betrayal" and committed to campaign for its overturning.

"We are unable to endorse that halfway measure."

"This represents misguided policy and I plan to fight to overturn this compromise."

An additional parliamentarian voiced disappointment concerning inadequate dialogue, observing: "There has been no discussion with parliamentary colleagues. Peers shouldn't override concerning campaign pledges, therefore why did we surrender??"

Wider Consequences

An additional lawmaker remarked: "Employers have nothing to fear regarding first-day entitlements, however laborers face significant risks from businesses who opposes immediate protections."

The former employment minister asserted that the decision "definitely is a broken promise."

Government Justification

The schools minister declared remained a "substantial likelihood" the implementation of the employment rights bill would have been delayed without the cabinet's decision regarding a change regarding immediate safeguards against unjust firing.

"There has been discussion regarding the issue of unfair dismissal and the qualifying timeframe between businesses, labor organizations and government, and following that discussion consensus has emerged concerning future direction, that demonstrates progress."

The minister stressed that "This indicates the eligibility timeframe will decrease from two years to six months, and this accompanies significant first-day entitlements around sick pay and about family time off."

"But the risk here was without forward movement, those crucial protections wouldn't come into force from April next year."

Upon being asked regarding if it constituted an unfulfilled pledge, the official replied: "Throughout the campaign document, the promise indicated was that we planned to cooperate with labor organizations, with business, with community groups, while discussing such entitlements that we'd be bringing forward."

"Therefore, two components exist concerning that issue, throughout the campaign document, the crucial protections and the dialogue."