More rights for working women as Labour eyes female vote

Mothers could be paid sick leave if their children are ill and given more legal rights to work part-time as the Government attempts to woo back the women's vote in its war with David Cameron.

Companies may also have to reveal if they pay women less than men to do the same job.

The package of workplace rights is being drawn up by Harriet Harman, a senior ally of Gordon Brown.

Sorry Ms Harman, your 'family friendly' policies are no such thing

The Constitutional Affairs Minister is positioning herself to challenge for her party's deputy leadership when John Prescott stands down.

Labour strategists have been alarmed by polls suggesting working parents - women in particular - are turning back to the Conservatives under Mr Cameron's leadership.

After years of falling support among women, a YouGov poll at the weekend revealed a 6 per cent swing from Labour to the Tories among female voters in just under a year.

Mr Cameron also appears to be picking up support from white-collar workers.

The poll showed Labour and the Liberal Democrats losing ground among these voters, with the Tories up 6 per cent.

Miss Harman, who devised her party's earlier reforms of maternity and paternity leave, believes a ' workplace revolution' should form a
central part of Labour's strategy to win a fourth term in office.

Designed to 'draw the battle lines with the Tories over family policy', it will be discussed at next month's Labour Party conference.

The policy package will include measures to raise child benefit for second and third children to help parents who feel they cannot afford to have more children.

The minimum wage would also be raised to help the millions of women, such as cleaners and care workers, who are on low pay.

Miss Harman said: "We are really upping the stakes. We need to have a robust and rigorous approach to public policy on the family.

"We need to have mandatory pay audits because we can't tackle inequality when it is hidden. The Tories have been forced to accept Labour's agenda of maternity pay and leave. It is now essential for Labour to make further progress.

"The Tories are eager to talk about families but not prepared to take the action families need. The choice for families will be between Tory sentiment and Labour action."

Miss Harman revealed how she sees the wellbeing of workers as the most important part of the economy. She told the Independent on Sunday that the reforms were based on the idea that 'human capital is crucial to the economy'.

Under existing Labour reforms, workers have the right to ask their boss if they can work part-time, but there is no obligation on them to agree. However, in the reforms being proposed, employers would have to prove the job cannot be done part-time to refuse the request. Miss Harman has drawn up plans which would give parents the statutory right to sick leave if a child is ill and cannot go to school. Only one parent could take leave at a time.

Labour is already proposing to give fathers six months off work in place of mothers to look after babies.

The taxpayer will bear the cost of most of the proposed changes but industry chiefs say longer leave could cause serious disruption and extra red tape.

Matthew Knowles, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "There are already 28 Acts of Parliament on employment legislation in law.

"To force another one through really would be stretching the patience of small firms. On average, they have four employees, so to have one of those off for a day or for six months means a quarter of the workforce is missing.

"Small employers know that a happy workforce is an effective one and already bend over backwards to help their employees out. When the dead hand of government comes in, all it does is create unnecessary antagonism."