The TUC has today published new polling which reveals overwhelming support for Labour’s New Deal for Working People.
The polling of more than 3,000 voters – conducted by Opinium on the day after the election – shows large-scale backing across the political spectrum for Labour’s flagship workers’ rights programme including among Conservative and Reform voters.
The poll also highlights widespread ongoing concerns over living standards.
Three-quarters of 2024 voters support ensuring the national minimum wage rises to be a real living wage. This number rises to more than 8 in 10 for Labour, Lib Dem and Green voters and is hugely popular among 2024 Conservative and Reform voters too .
Nearly 2 in 3 support the day one right to protection from unfair dismissal and nearly 7 in 10 voters back Labour’s plan to make statutory sick pay available from the first day of sickness
Two-thirds of voters support a ban on fire and rehire and nearly 7 in 10 voters support banning zero-hours contracts by offering all workers a contract that reflects their normal hours of work and compensation for cancelled shifts.
And there is majority support for collective rights too, including union access to workplaces
All of these policies are part of Labour’s plan to make work pay – which the TUC says will help improve the quality of work across the country.
TUC analysis published last month showed that over 4 million UK workers are currently in precarious employment – a rise of nearly 1 million since the Tories took office.
The TUC says that boosting living standards by growing the economy and delivering the plan to make work pay is an urgent priority for the country.
Over half of those polled by Opinium say their personal financial circumstances are getting worse and nearly 6 in 10 say the economy is getting worse
When asked what was the most important attribute or quality for a political party – voters said being “on the side of ordinary working people” was the most important.
Commenting on the poll, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:
“British voters across the political spectrum want work to pay and to feel secure and respected in their jobs.
“Labour’s workers’ rights plans are hugely popular, and this poll should give ministers confidence to get on with delivering them in full.
“Working people want a government that is on their side and that will improve the quality of work in this country.
“After 14 years of stagnating living standards, the UK needs to turn the page on our low-rights, low-pay economy that has allowed good employers to be undercut by the bad,
“It’s time to make the country work for working people again.”
Adam Drummond, Research Director and Partner at Opinium, said:
“There’s strong support for pro-worker policies we tested including living wage, unfair dismissal, sick pay, banning zero-hours contracts and banning the practice of fire and rehire.
“Crucially this isn’t just among Labour voters but typically also among supporters of other parties including the Conservatives and Reform.
“While Labour is generally more trusted than distrusted when it comes to making working life better and being on the side of working people voters will need to see them deliver.”
