Trade unions begin 'bombarding' firms with demands before Rayner's new workers' rights laws come into effect

Trade unions have already begun to 'bombard' businesses with demands to march into workplaces ahead of Labour's new workers' rights laws coming into force next week.

Shop stewards and union officials will have the power to access offices and factories from next Friday under Angela Rayner's Employment Rights Act.

'Several unions are already sending businesses voluntary access requests, even though the rules don't come into force until October 30,' Chris Coombes, a senior associate at specialist employment law firm Littler, warned on Friday night.

Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith warned that Left-wing activists are 'emboldened' by Labour's workers' rights laws and are 'taking action before they even come into force'.

He said: 'Labour's Unemployment Act was written by the trade unions, for the trade unions.

'It gives the unions unprecedented access to the workplace and the workforce, while wrapping businesses up in suffocating red tape.

'Lefty activists have clearly been emboldened by the changes and are taking action before they even come into force.'

On Wednesday union barons gathered for a Downing Street summit at which they made their demands clear to Chancellor John Healey ahead of the Budget next week.

They have already secured several of their key demands since Labour took power in 2024. These include inflation-busting hikes in the minimum wage, lifting the two-child benefit cap and sweeping new powers making it easier to call strikes.

The Government's own impact assessment estimated the Employment Rights Act could cost businesses up to £5 billion a year.

A poll of almost 200 business leaders this week found that just 2 per cent of employers are fully prepared for new union access rules, 48 per cent said they were somewhat prepared, while half said they were not prepared at all.

The Department for Business and Trade was approached for comment.