Voters in Wales overwhelmingly back Government’s flagship workers’ rights legislation

• Biggest ever poll on workers’ rights shows overwhelming support across the political spectrum on the Bill’s key policies
• Significant support for key employment rights bill policies projected in key battleground seats – including every seat where Reform came second
• TUC Cymru says poll shows Reform is “defying its own voters and constituents” with its opposition to landmark workers’ rights legislation

The TUC and Hope Not Hate have today (Monday) published a new mega poll, which shows voters in Wales – including Conservative and Reform voters – overwhelmingly support key policies in the UK Government’s Employment Rights Bill.

The poll of over 21,000 people comes after criticisms of the Employment Rights Bill from the Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, Reform leader Nigel Farage and parts of the business lobby.

TUC Cymru says it shows opponents of the Employment Rights Bill are “a world away” from the British public.

The mega poll shows that in Wales:

• 72% of people support a ban on zero hours contracts
• 73% of people support giving all workers the right to statutory sick pay, ensuring it is paid from the first day of sick leave
• 73% of people support giving all workers protection from unfair dismissal from day one
• 72% of people support making it easier for workers to work flexibly

The new MRP modelled support at a constituency level for two key policies from the legislation – banning zero hours contracts and giving all workers sick pay from day one – and reveals that voters in every single constituency would be projected to support the policies.

Support for stronger workers’ rights across the political spectrum

The national findings from the poll show that supporters of all the main political parties support key policies in the Employment Rights Bill.

This includes support from nearly two-thirds of both Reform and Conservative voters in the 2024 election for some of the Bill’s flagship policies:

• 65% of Reform and 63% of Conservative voters support banning zero hours contracts
• 64% of Reform and 62% of Conservative voters support giving all workers the right to statutory sick pay, and ensuring it is paid from the first day
• 62% of Reform and 62% of Conservative voters giving all workers protection from unfair dismissal from the first day in the job
• 63% of Reform and 64% of Conservative voters support making it easier to work flexibly

Reform is defying its own voters on workers’ rights

TUC Cymru says the poll shows how Reform is defying its own voters and constituents by opposing the Employment Rights Bill.

The new poll shows that workers’ rights laws are hugely popular with Reform voters from 2024 as well as Reform-leaning voters (those who would vote Reform if there was an election tomorrow).

In every seat Reform came second in in Wales, there is significant support for banning zero hours contracts and giving sick pay to everyone from day one.

Aberafan Maesteg:

• 77% support banning zero hours contracts
• 70% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

Alyn and Deeside:

• 72% support banning zero hours contracts
• 73% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

 Bridgend:

• 71% support banning zero hours contracts
• 76% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

 Llanelli:

• 73% support banning zero hours contracts
• 73% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

 Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare:

• 75% support banning zero hours contracts
• 73% support giving all workers sick pay from day one 

Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr:

• 71% support banning zero hours contracts
• 70% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

 Neath and Swansea East:

• 74% support banning zero hours contracts
• 71% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

 Newport East

• 71% support banning zero hours contracts
• 72% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

 Newport West and Islwyn

• 74% support banning zero hours contracts
• 73% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

 Rhondda and Ogmore:

• 75% support banning zero hours contracts
• 72% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

 Pontypridd:

• 73% support banning zero hours contracts
• 73% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

 Swansea West:

• 73% support banning zero hours contracts
• 73% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

Torfaen:

• 72% support banning zero hours contracts
• 77% support giving all workers sick pay from day one

TUC Cymru’s General Secretary, Shavanah Taj, said:

“Make no mistake. The Government’s landmark Employment Rights Bill is a vote winner.

“Opponents of the Bill are a world away from the public here in Wales. These policies are massively popular right across the political spectrum.

“After the failed Conservative era of a low-rights, low-pay, and low-growth economy, voters can see the importance of making work pay and ending the scourge of insecure work.

“That’s why the Government must ignore the noise and deliver the Employment Rights Bill in full.

“Those who defend the broken status quo are putting their own vested interests above working people.”

On Reform defying their voters, Shavanah added: 

“Reform is defying its own supporters on workers’ rights. Reform MPs voted against the Employment Rights Bill at every stage.

“And it’s not just on workers’ rights that Reform are poles apart from the Welsh people – Farage has talked openly about privatising the NHS.

“Nigel Farage and Reform aren’t on the side of working people – they’re on the side of bad bosses, zero hours contracts and profiteering healthcare companies.”

Hope Not Hate CEO Nick Lowles said:

“Reform UK is emerging as a major political force in Britain, and a serious threat to the Labour government’s majority.

“Reform voters aren’t a homogenous bloc – a sizeable number of these voters are actually supportive of multiculturalism and immigration.

“But one thing most Reform voters have in common is their support for stronger rights at work – from banning zero hours contracts to making it easier for workers to work flexibly.

“Measures like these are an antidote to the sense of pessimism tempting voters to Reform UK”