Long-bailey pledges to ban bosses contacting staff out of hours

REBECCA LONG-BAILEY will push for a French-style ban on bosses contacting their employees after they have left work for the day if she is elected Labour leader.

The hard-left’s favourite candidate to succeed Jeremy Corbyn yesterday vowed to give workers the freedom to switch off their phones and digital devices to end the “24/7” work culture.

The shadow business secretary’s plans are modelled on laws introduced in France in 2017, which gave employees in an organisation with more than 50 workers the “right to disconnect”.

However, business leaders last night criticised her proposals, saying they risked being counterproductive.

Announcing the policy yesterday, the Salford MP said she would give trade unions the power to negotiate agreements with companies to stop them calling and emailing after hours.

She also revealed that she would continue to push for Labour’s four-day week policy, drawn up by her mentor John Mcdonnell, as a long-term aspiration, despite it facing widespread opposition from business.

And in a bid to bolster her support from the unions, she said Labour would “without question” support every dispute and strike called against “unfair, exploitative and unjust employers”.

On her no-contact proposals, she said: “Through pushing for an end to the 24/7 work culture, and with trade unions empowered to negotiate this, we can work hard, be paid for the work we do and keep that precious time with our friends and family, uninterrupted by emails or demands.”

A spokesman for the Confederation of British Industry said: “Instead of a new top-down directive, the best solution is for companies to discuss what forms of flexible working can be offered to best protect family and leisure time, which will often be different depending on individual circumstances.”

Edwin Morgan, director of policy at the Institute of Directors, said: “With technology making the traditional boundaries of work less clear-cut, there’s an important conversation to be had around the potential pitfalls of an ‘always on’ culture.

“However … blanket solutions often prove counterproductive.”

French companies are required to negotiate with employees over contacting them outside working hours. Should they fail to reach agreements, they must publish a charter setting out the demands on staff outside of working hours.

Separately, Labour last night said it had suspended two candidates standing to be elected to its ruling body, the national executive committee.

A spokesman for the party refused to say why it had suspended Jo Bird and Mohammed Azam, who are now understood to be under investigation.

Ms Bird was previously suspended in March last year after she was found to have used the term “Jew process” during a speech about allegations of racism.

She was reinstated after apologising, and received only a formal warning.