The Labour manifesto delivers for working families

This is the most important election in a generation for working families. No matter who we are or where we come from, all of us should have a chance to get on in life.

We’re assessing each of the party manifestos on their plan to put working families first. Here we set out why we think the Labour manifesto delivers.

Test 1: Get wages rising faster for everyone - not just top earners

The Labour manifesto sets out a comprehensive plan to end the longest pay squeeze for generations.

• They’ll bring in a real living wage of £10 now for everyone.
• There’s new rights promised so that workers can bargain through their unions for fair pay, including access rights to workplaces for unions, and a commitment to make it easier for workers and unions to establish collective bargaining in their workplace and to introduce sectoral collective bargaining. We know that’s the best way to get pay rising for everyone. And international institutions agree with us – just this week the OECD (the organisation of rich nations) called for countries to 'revamp collective bargaining to prevent rising labour market inequalities ’.
• Worker Directors will be elected to make up a third of company boards and given a say over executive pay.
• There’s a real commitment to tackle pay inequality, with new reporting requirements to expose race and disability-based pay discrimination and plans to ensure employers have to take action on closing the gender pay gap.
• And what’s more, the UK will be brought in line with the rest of Europe with four new bank holidays.

Test 2: Ban zero-hours contracts and guarantee everyone the security at work we need

This manifesto offers real change for working families and a return to decent secure jobs.

• Zero-Hours Contracts would be banned – a change desperately needed for the 900,000 people still faced with this form of unfair and insecure work
• And Labour would go further by ensuring that cancelled shifts are paid and people are given reasonable notice of when they’re expected to work.
• Every worker would be given day one rights in their job, including the right to redundancy pay and family-friendly rights. And Labour have promised never to return to the unfair employment tribunal fees that priced workers out of justice.
• Workers would get a right to flexible working from day one.
• And there’s new rights to make sure that workers have say in the future of work, including a legal right to collective consultation on the implementation of new technology in workplaces.

Test 3: Rebuild our NHS and the public services we all rely on - don't cut taxes for the rich

Labour are promising the investment are schools and hospitals are crying out for. And they’re funding it by ensuring the rich and big corporations pay their fair share.

• Labour’s NHS plans include a 4.3 per cent uplift in funding a year, plus new money for building hospital and upgrading investment. This would repair the long-term damage caused by ten years of austerity that’s left us with nurse shortages and long waits to see a GP. And there’s a plan to give public sector workers the pay increase they deserve, with a five per cent rise across the board.
• The plan for a national care service with free personal care for older people would help address the urgent social care crisis and relieve pressure on the NHS too.
• On schools, Labour’s plans would not only reverse the cuts, but address the historic underfunding of education in too many parts of the country. And the plan for universal free school meals will make a real difference to families across the country, as well as boosting learning.
• Labour plan to pay for this with a fair plan for taxation. The highest earners – those who earn over £80,000 – will pay a little more tax. If you’re not in that top five per cent, your taxes won’t go up. Tax on big business (corporation tax) will go up to help fund public services, but it will still be lower than in 2010.

Working families desperately need change at this election. This manifesto has the ingredients we need to deliver it.