Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley says the landmark Employment Rights Bill debated in Parliament is a huge step forward for nine million employees who will benefit from new protection.

She praised Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner who addressed the House of Commons for the Bill’s second reading.

Mrs Buckley said: “I know that Angela herself has been reflecting on her time as a mother and care worker struggling on unpredictable hours, and how this new Bill will save the lowest paid workers up to £600 a year in lost income from cancelled or shortened shifts.

“So yes – I was happy to be voting on the second reading of the Employment Rights Bill last week. This Bill will ban exploitative ‘zero hour’ contracts, end ‘fire and rehire’ and deliver stronger protections against dismissal for pregnant women and new mothers, and also give employees basic rights from day one in new employment.

“This is Labour’s plan to make work pay.”

The Deputy Prime Minister, speaking in Parliament last week, said: “This landmark Bill — pro-growth, pro-business and pro-worker — will extend the employment protections given by the best British companies to millions more workers.

“Almost nine million employees will benefit from protection against unfair dismissal from day one, 1.7 million will benefit from new policies on flexible working, and up to 2 million will receive a right to bereavement leave. Thousands of pregnant women and mothers will benefit from new maternity protections, and tens of thousands of fathers and partners will be brought into the scope of paternity leave. We will deliver a genuine living wage that matches the cost of living.”