Tories to 'simplify' young people’s working protections to ‘save summer jobs’
The proposals will mean young workers will be able to work until midnight at weekends during term-time.
The Conservatives have said they will remove protections for young workers to help them get summer jobs, including to be able to work until midnight at weekends during term-time.
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New plans by the Conservatives include allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to take their breaks “at any point” during their shifts.
Meanwhile, young people in full-time education or training would be able to work until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays during term-time.
The Tories would remove all restrictions during school holidays.
The party’s policy also means young people would not be required to take 48 hours off between shifts in a week – it would be reduced to 24 hours.
The changes would be part of getting rid of “outdated” EU laws that restrict young people’s ability to work, as part of a Brexit “benefit”.
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Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said it would “save” the summer job and give employers confidence to hire younger people.
He said: “A generation of young people risks being locked out of work because of unnecessary red tape, higher taxes and economic uncertainty.
“Simplifying rules about when young people can work and take breaks will help save the summer job and give employers the confidence they need to hire a young person.
“Only the Conservatives have the team and the plan to get Britain working again, and stand up for summer jobs by slashing unnecessary red tape and scrapping the job-destroying parts of the Employment Rights Act, alongside abolishing business rates for most high street and hospitality businesses and delivering our cheap power plan to cut business energy costs by 20%.”
The Conservatives pointed to the UK having the third-highest rate of young people not in education, employment or training in Europe, at more than one million people.
They said Labour had made it harder for young people to get work by raising employers’ national insurance contributions.
Current laws mean workers aged 16 to 17 must take a 30-minute break per four and a half hours of work.
The Conservatives would bring those rules in line with those for workers over 18.
The law says young people should not work between 10 pm and 6 am, or between 11 pm and 7 am, depending on their contracts.
The Conservatives said getting rid of this law would allow young people to work clearing up after pubs and bars have shut.
The move was welcomed by the chairwoman of UK Hospitality, Kate Nicholls.
She said: “Sixty per cent of first jobs were in hospitality. We give so many young people their first step on the career ladder.
“These sensible reforms will remove unnecessary barriers for businesses and give young people the opportunity to learn new skills and gain the confidence that comes with a first job.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “This is another reheated announcement from the Tories, dressing up giving young people fewer protections at work as ‘flexibility’, while doing nothing to tackle the real barriers they face.
“While the Tories chase headlines, this Labour government is backing the businesses that employ thousands of young people. The Prime Minister has already acted with a 20% business rates discount for pubs, clubs and live music venues next year.
“We’re also investing billions to tackle youth unemployment, with £2.5 billion through the Youth Guarantee and Growth and Skills Levy creating up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, alongside incentives for businesses to give young people their first step into work.”
Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice, who leads for the party on business policy, said: “Trusting the Conservatives to tackle youth unemployment is like hiring the arsonist to put out the fire.
“They had 14 years to remove these rules and scrap pointless EU regulations strangling business. As business secretary, Kemi Badenoch not only failed to act, but actually presided over a 3% rise in young people out of work.
“Reform UK is the natural party of business and growth. We will deregulate smartly and safely and ditch needless EU bureaucracy so firms can grow and create jobs.”