New employment bill published by government

A new bill on employment has today been published by the UK government, it has emerged.

According to reports, the bill has been designed to improve the protective environment for agency employees, in addition to introducing stiffer penalties against unscrupulous employers.

"The National Minimum Wage was a key right this Government introduced to ensure workers were paid fairly," said Pat McFadden, minister for employment relations.

"These changes would make sure everyone who is caught not paying their workers will be punished, with the potential for unlimited fines," he added.

Moreover, as well as benefiting employees, the bill is being touted as favourable to trade unions and employers, in addition to the public sector.

Among the existing pieces of legislation covering employment are the Employment Relations Act 2004 and the Employment Act 2002.