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Joanne Thomas Chair of TULO and Usdaw general secretary welcomes the important upgrade to workers’ rights

Retail trade union leader and chair of the Labour Unions (TULO – Trade Union Liaison Organisation) Joanne Thomas has welcomed the Employment Rights Bill passing its final parliamentary stages, which now proceeds to Royal assessment.

16 December 2025

0 min read

Joanne Thomas, Chair of TULO, the unions that affiliate to the Labour Party, and general secretary of Usdaw, says: 

"Labour's Employment Rights legislation has finally passed - despite Tory Lords' best attempts to derail it.

"From the right to a guaranteed hours contract for every worker, to Statutory Sick Pay from day one, to fairness for unions to give workers an effective voice in their workplace - these changes will rebalance the world of work, putting power back into the hands of working people, where it belongs.

"This would not have happened without a Labour Government – but it absolutely would not have happened without the affiliated unions bringing the collective voice of working people to the heart of the Party. This is the Labour-union link at its very best. 

"The work is not yet done. We need to make sure these rights are implemented properly, and that the other policies promised in the New Deal for Working People are delivered in full. But now is a time to celebrate - and be proud of what the labour movement has delivered together."

Notes for editors:

Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk

Labour Unions (TULO) represents the eleven unions who are affiliated to the Labour Party, bringing the voices of four million workers, and their families, to the heart of Labour

Employment Rights Bill: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3737

For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky@usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion

Summary

Retail trade union leader and chair of the Labour Unions (TULO – Trade Union Liaison Organisation) Joanne Thomas has welcomed the Employment Rights Bill passing its final parliamentary stages, which now proceeds to Royal assessment.