- Biggest ever poll on workers’ rights shows overwhelming support across the political spectrum on the Bill’s key policies
- Significant support for key employment rights bill policies projected in key battleground seats – including where Reform came second
- TUC says poll shows Reform and Conservatives “defying their own voters and constituents” with its opposition to landmark workers’ rights legislation
The TUC and Hope Not Hate have today (Thursday) published constituency data following a new mega poll, which shows voters in Dorset – including Conservative and Reform voters – overwhelmingly support key policies in the Government’s Employment Rights Bill.
The poll of over 21,000 people comes after criticisms of the Employment Rights Bill from the Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, Reform leader Nigel Farage and parts of the business lobby.
According to the TUC, the poll proves opponents of the Employment Rights Bill are “a world away” from the British voting public.
The mega poll shows that in Dorset:
- 69% of people support a ban on zero hours contracts
- 71% of people support giving all workers the right to statutory sick pay, ensuring it is paid from the first day of sick leave
And separately, the TUC mega poll shows that across the South West:
- 71% of people support giving all workers protection from unfair dismissal from day one
- 73% of people support making it easier for workers to work flexibly
The new MRP modelled support at a constituency level for two key policies from the legislation – banning zero hours contracts and giving all workers sick pay from day one – and reveals that voters in every single constituency would be projected to support the policies.
Support for stronger workers’ rights across the political spectrum
The national findings from the poll show that supporters of all the main political parties in England support key policies in the Employment Rights Bill.
This includes around support from nearly two-thirds of both Reform and Conservative voters in the 2024 election for some of the bill’s flagship policies. This includes:
- 65% of Reform and 63% of Conservative voters support banning zero hours contracts.
- 64% of Reform and 62% of Conservative voters support giving all workers the right to statutory sick pay, and ensuring it is paid from the first day
- 62% of Reform and 62% of Conservative voters giving all workers protection from unfair dismissal from the first day in the job
- 63% of Reform and 64% of Conservative voters support making it easier to work flexibly
Reform and Conservatives defying their own voters on workers’ rights
The TUC says the poll shows how Reform and the Conservative Party are defying their own voters and constituents by opposing the Employment Rights Bill, given workers’ rights laws are hugely popular with Reform voters from 2024 as well as Reform-leaning voters (those who would vote Reform if there was an election tomorrow).
There is also significant support in key Conservative-held areas – including
In the North Dorset seat, currently held by Simon Hoare Conservative MP, there is significant support for banning zero hours contracts and ensuring all workers receive sick pay from the first day of sickness.
TUC regional secretary Ines Lage said:
“Make no mistake – the government’s landmark Employment Rights Bill is a vote winner.
“Opponents of the Bill are a world away from the public. These policies are massively popular right across the political spectrum.
“After the failed Conservative era of a low-rights, low-pay, and low-growth economy, voters can see the importance of making work pay and ending the scourge of insecure work.
“That’s why the government must ignore the noise and deliver the Employment Rights Bill in full.
“Those who defend the broken status quo are putting their own vested interests above working people.”
On Reform and Conservatives defying their voters, Ines added:
“Reform and the Tories are ignoring its own voters and constituents on workers’ rights. Reform MPs voted against the Employment Rights Bill at every stage.
“The Conservatives and Reform aren’t on the side of working people – they’re on the side of bad bosses, zero hours contracts and fire and rehire.”
Hope Not Hate CEO Nick Lowles said:
“Reform UK is emerging as a major political force in Britain and a serious threat to the Labour government’s majority.
“Reform voters aren’t a homogenous bloc – a sizeable number of these voters are actually supportive of multiculturalism and immigration.
“But one thing most Reform voters have in common is their support for stronger rights at work – from banning zero-hours contracts to making it easier for workers to work flexibly.
“Measures like these are an antidote to the sense of pessimism tempting voters to Reform UK.”
– Full constituency data on banning zero hours contracts and sick pay for all:
| Support for day-one sick pay | Support for banning ZHCs | |
| Bournemouth East | 69% | 72% |
| Bournemouth West | 67% | 72% |
| Christchurch | 68% | 69% |
| Mid Dorset and North Poole | 70% | 72% |
| North Dorset | 68% | 69% |
| Poole | 72% | 72% |
| South Dorset | 70% | 71% |
| West Dorset | 68% | 70% |
