Fair Work for Wales: skills and progression

6 November 2019

Nisreen Mansour

→ What’s Fair Work?

→ Who’ll benefit?

→ What’s happened so far….

Unemployment is low, but there are a lot of people

who are being failed by the labour market in Wales

Source: Senedd Research

Who’s in unfair work?

0

5

10

15

20

25

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Per

cent

Gender pay gap in Wales, 1997-2018

Percentage gap

Source: StatsWales

Place

Stuckness

• Women, part-time and older workers are at greater risk of being stuck in

poorly paid work, along with those in the private sector, in elementary and

sales and customer service occupations.

• Working in certain industries (wholesale and retail, accommodation and

food services and health and social work) also puts employees at greater

risk of becoming stuck in low paid work.

And we can’t just focus on the data….

Turn the tide - increasing collective

bargaining coverage

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

% of employees covered by a collective agreement

% of employees who are TU members

Coverage of collective agreements and trade union membership

How do we make work fairer?

• It can’t be about addressing the symptoms, it must be about addressing

the cause

• A worker and their employer are not equal – the only way for workers to

redress this imbalance is by acting as a collective through a democratic

trade union

• Unionised workplaces – where staff can negotiate with their employer over

their pay terms and conditions through their union – achieve this.

• This approach is needed at the policy-making level too (social partnership)

What is Fair Work?

Rate for the

job

Inclusive

Progress

Legally

compliant

Universal

Put us on a

good track

for the

future

Secure

Fairer work makes a fairer society

The Fair Work Commission

The Fair Work Commission’s definition

Definition: Fair work is where workers are fairly rewarded, heard and

represented, secure and able to progress in a healthy, inclusive environment

where rights are respected.

Characteristics within the definition: Fair reward; employee voice and

collective representation; security and flexibility; opportunity for access,

growth and progression; safe, healthy and inclusive working environment,

legal rights respected and given substantive effect.

The promotion of equality and inclusion is integral to all six

characteristics.

Source: Report of the Fair Work Commission

Key characteristics linked to skills & progression

• Worker-centred flexibility is not ‘traded’ against reward or

progression.

• Opportunities are open to all to access work; for fulfilment and

growth; to develop and progress; to acquire and use skills.

• Inclusive development opportunities exist which are sensitive to

diverse needs.

• No disadvantage is experienced in terms of opportunities for

progression/career paths arising from particular contractual status or

personal characteristics. Occupational segregation is addressed.

• Workers have access to training for current job, for progression and for

organisational change; there is re-skilling of older and lower qualified

workers.

• High quality apprenticeships are offered.

Unions & Fair Work

The union impact

• pay - unions secured 6.5% higher pay across like workplaces

• on-the-job training

• equalities (policies & practices)

• workers’ wellbeing

• Job security and stability (e.g. turnover)

• Innovation

Source: TUC, The Added Value of Trade Unions

Delivering Fair Work

• Stronger social partnership

• Procurement

• Business support

• Union-led learning

• Enforcement

Making Wales a (sustainable) Fair Work Nation

A more

inclusive

economy

Shifting

workplace

culture

Delivering

on FWC

report

Thank you

Nisreen Mansour – namansour@tuc.org.uk