UNIONS have called on peers to protect workers’ rights and stop a “ministerial power grab” by voting for amendments on the Retained EU Law Bill today.

The government’s Bill represents a “bonfire of regulations” agreed to and implemented during the UK’s membership of the European Union.

But it has added workers’ rights such as entitlement to breaks, safe working hours and paid holiday and also allowed ministers the right to rewrite laws with little scrutiny.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak called on the Lords to support amendments to the Bill today.

He said: “Months of campaigning by unions, environmental groups and business have forced the government to step back from the brink and abandon its disastrous plan to rip up every single piece of EU retained law by the end of this year.

“But this Bill is still a threat to working people in every corner of the country.

“Tinkering with the status of EU law could unravel decades of case law – making it harder for workers to enforce their rights and for women to make equal pay claims.

“And ministers are handing themselves huge powers to circumvent normal parliamentary procedures and rewrite legislation.

“Peers must do the right thing and vote to stop this ministerial power grab and protect workers’ rights.”

On separate proposals to water down key workplace protections, he said: “The Conservatives’ promise to protect and enhance workers’ rights is up in flames.

“Ministers want to meddle with holiday leave, which could see some workers get less holiday pay when they take time off.

“They propose loosening rules on recording hours — delivering a boost to bad bosses looking to exploit workers and put them through long, gruelling shifts without enough rest.

“And the government is plotting an outright attack on the rights of outsourced workers, by stripping many of them of a united voice when they are transferred to new employers.”