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It will also implement the National Employment Panel's report on promoting small business growth for ethnic and faith communities.
Page 41
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Labour stresses the importance of a modern transport infrastructure, and says it supports the "continuing development of a competitive and efficient freight service-. It is light on specifics, although it says it intends to expand capacity by investing in the Ml, M6 and M25. It aims to examine a move away from the current system of vehicle taxation towards a national system of road pricing. Traffic Management Officers are being introduced to speed up traffic flow and ease congestion.
Holidays by right
In 2003 the Working Time Directive gave employees the right to four weeks' paid holiday. At present, employers can include public holidays as part of the statutory four weeks, but the government plans to make the four weeks additional to bank holidays.
Age discrimination will be banned from 2006. This adds to laws banning discrimination at work on the grounds of gender, disability, race and ethnicity.The government is also concerned about the pay and promotion gap between men and women, and the Women and Work Commission is due to report to the Prime Minister later this year. During the course of the next parliament the government intends to simplify discrimination law by introducing a single Equality Act.
A draft bill already published will go out to consultation before legislation is introduced on the new offence of corporate manslaughter.
The government's stance on pensions is softer than that being trailed before the election. No mention is made of forcing employers and employees to contribute to a workplace scheme. Labour merely talks about "encouraging automatic enrolment into company pension schemes". However, a second report from the Pensions Commission is due in the autumn,and the picture may then become clearer. New Work and Pensions Secretary David Blunkett has made it clear he has not ruled out the option of compulsion. The government wants to "address the disadvantages faced by women-. but it has yet to say how.
On immigration, the government will introduce a points system to allow skilled workers to come to Britain. Only skilled workers will be allowed to settle long-term in the UK, and employers will face fines of up to 12,000 for each illegal immigrant they employ.
With its reduced majority the government may face difficulties with some of the more controversial aspects of its legislative programme, particularly if it is challenged by its own backbenchers on unpopular issues. However, it is still the largest party in parliament by 66 seats, so it is hard to see how its plans will be significantly derailed. • CONTACTS www.businesslink.gov.uk www.smallbusiness.co.uk