(Title Image: Holmans Accounting)

Minister for Local Government & Housing, Julie James (Lab, Swansea West) has published a white paper setting out the Welsh Government’s plans to introduce a Bill to promote “fair work” (pdf).

“Fair work” includes things such as fair pair, employee voices in decision-making, job security and flexibility, safe and inclusive working environments and respect for legal rights.

“While work remains the best route out of poverty, more and more people in work are struggling to make ends meet. We cannot accept that rising inequality is inevitable as our national economy grows. “This White Paper outlines proposals to strengthen our social partnership arrangements and deliver a renewed, more ambitious agenda for greater social equality that would be informed by the findings of the Fair Work Commission, which reported earlier this year.”

– Minister for Local Government & Housing, Julie James

The white paper proposes:

Establishing a Social Partnership Council with membership from trade unions, private employers and public bodies, chaired by the First Minister. The council will work to reach agreements on workforce issues and determine how employment policy can be used to improve general wellbeing.

Place a duty on the public sector to have due regard for social partnership principles and to promote “fair work”.

“Fair work” will be at the centre of a new procurement model for the public sector. Public bodies will be expected to explain themselves to the Social Partnership Council if they don’t meet “fair work” expectations.

Consultation on the white paper is open until 2nd January 2020 – all details are available here.