The Employment and Trade Union Rights (Dismissal and Re-engagement) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Woodley (Labour). It aims to tighten the rules around the use of fire and rehire practices by employers, including by providing affected workers with additional protections. The second reading of the bill in the House of Lords is due on 1 March 2024.
Employment and Trade Union Rights (Dismissal and Re-engagement) Bill [HL] (348KB PDF)
The Employment and Trade Union Rights (Dismissal and Re-engagement) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Woodley (Labour). It aims to tighten the rules around the use of fire and rehire practices by employers, including by providing affected workers with additional protections. It is scheduled for second reading in the House of Lords on 1 March 2024.
Other private members’ bills have been introduced on the subject in previous sessions. In the 2022–23 session, Lord Woodley introduced a bill which was identical in effect; this did not proceed to second reading. In addition, a similar bill was introduced in the House of Commons in the 2021–22 session.
In March 2022, the government committed to introducing a code to give legal force to government expectations that employers should behave fairly and reasonably when seeking to change employees’ terms and conditions. A draft code of dismissal and re-engagement was published on 24 January 2023. Consultation on this draft code closed on 18 April 2023. The government has committed to publish a final version of the code in Spring 2024.
This briefing provides information and commentary on private member’s bills seeking to address fire and rehire. It also examines reaction to the government’s draft code.
Employment and Trade Union Rights (Dismissal and Re-engagement) Bill [HL] (348KB PDF)
The Commercial Payments Bill [HL] seeks to tackle late payments to small businesses. It would impose minimum payment periods for invoices, prohibit the use of retentions in construction contracts and provide the small business commissioner with greater powers. The bill received an unopposed second reading in the House of Lords on 9 June 2026. 30 government amendments were made to the bill at committee stage.
![Commercial Payments Bill [HL]: Progress in the Lords](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/01/Business-VIGs-568x426.jpg)
The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill is a government bill that would provide powers to nationalise a company involved in steel manufacturing where it is in the public interest. It completed its House of Commons stages on 9 June 2026 and is scheduled for second reading in the House of Lords on 16 June 2026. The government has explained the bill is being fast-tracked as it believes it is necessary to safeguard the future of the UK steel industry. It says this is important for the UK economy, national security and critical infrastructure.
Concerns have been raised about levels of welfare spending in the UK and increasing numbers of young people not in education, employment or training. This briefing sets out statistics, government policy and commentary on welfare and youth employment. This includes the government’s youth guarantee, its ‘Get Britain working’ policies and the interim report by Alan Milburn on young people and work.
