May 1, 2015

The Lib Dems have a vision for a more equal society (don’t they all…) and want to see “more jobs… higher wages… better employment rights”. Let’s look at what they are suggesting:

• Right for zero-hours workers to request a fixed term contract;
• Raising minimum wage for apprentices by over £1 (currently this stands at £2.73 – much less than the regular minimum wage);
• Extending shared parental leave by offering an additional month of paternity leave to fathers on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis;
• Making paternity and shared parental leave immediately available upon starting employment;
• Reviewing the tribunal fee system (which you can assume will mean the system will remain in some form); and
• Doubling the number of businesses that hire apprentices.

There’s notably nothing ‘radical’ here but perhaps that’s the point. There is enough middle ground here to allow the Lib Dems to slot easily into a Con-Lib or Lab-Lib pact post election. Highlights from the remaining parties will follow.