Union boss accused Labour of ‘betrayal’ over New Deal ahead of showdown with Keir Starmer

A UNION boss has accused Labour of betrayal ahead of a major showdown with Sir Keir Starmer this week.

The party is braced for a tense meeting over workers’ rights with its biggest union backers on Tuesday.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has accused Labour of watering down deputy leader Angela Rayner’s New Deal.

She said current proposals were unrecognisable from the original plans and the retreat is a “betrayal”.

One Labour MP said: “You can certainly expect there will be some sabre-rattling.”

Major gripes are over fire and rehire laws and zero hours contracts.

Union chiefs will gather at 1.30pm before the meeting two hours later, sources said.

It comes amid a power struggle over how hard the party should go on the reforms.

But Labour sources deny they are weakening the New Deal and say they are just ironing out the details.

A party spokesman said: “We have been strengthening the proposals to implement our commitments. If elected we will bring forward legislation within 100 days of entering government.”

A report by think tank Policy Exchange says a key proposal of the New Deal — to introduce legally binding levels of pay and conditions, starting with the social care sector — could add £225 a year to council tax bills.

Labour said: “These claims are based on fiction and don’t reflect Labour policy.

“The real risk to people’s pockets is the £46billion unfunded Conservative pledge to abolish National Insurance.”