Labour’s pledge - a living wage in Scotland
11.01.11
“In a 21st century Scotland no one who does a fair day’s work should receive less than a fair day’s pay. In a Labour Scotland we will make sure that no one does,” said Iain Gray at the Labour Conference in Manchester.
It might not have had the nail-biting drama of the leadership result. But for those in Scotland who care about poverty and inequality, Iain Gray’s announcement of a pledge to institute a Living Wage when Labour regain power in Holyrood will have been a high point of proceedings in Manchester.
Minimum wage
Labour’s introduction of the minimum wage was a key factor in lifting hundreds of thousands out of poverty when Labour was in Government. But the sad fact is but it doesn’t do enough for hard working families. That’s why Iain Gray has pledged that a Living wage of “over £7.00 per hour” will be at the heart of Labour’s campaigning into the next Holyrood election and beyond. With a Con Dem Government in Westminster intent on lengthening the dole queue – and the SNP Government in Edinburgh making the situation worse through their choices – it’s never been more important to make work pay.
Low pay remains a very real problem for hundreds of thousands of workers across Scotland. The national minimum wage has helped outlaw blatant exploitation and the tax credit system has helped boost the pay of thousands of low paid workers. But despite this there are still upwards of 300,000 full time workers in Scotland who suffer low pay. The existence of so many low paid jobs traps individuals and families in poverty, denying the opportunities and choices that should be for everyone in a country as wealthy as Scotland.
Scotland’s Trade Unions are fully behind the pledge of a Living Wage. We should not need a further change in the law to begin the task of ensuring an adequate income for all. It’s a promise that clearly worried the nationalists - they tried to play catch up at their conference, pledging a Living Wage for workers in the NHS and those directly employed by the Scottish Government. But this fails to match Labour ’s commitment to a Living Wage throughout all of Scotland’s public services.
Commitment
Labour’s commitment is not one that stems from a calculation of electoral advantage. It is driven by our values. It is a promise - not just to the low paid, but to everyone in Scotland that, under Labour, we can do better. As Iain Gray put it in that Manchester speech: “Hard times or not, I want a Scotland of fairness, of opportunity, of excellence. A Scotland to be proud of; a Scotland to fight and struggle and organise for; a Labour Scotland.”
View CommentsWhat this government really stands for
05.01.11
We are really starting to see the true-blue colours of this Tory-led coalition government.
Yesterday, I switched on the radio to hear George Osborne claiming that their VAT hike is “progressive”. This tax rise will hit low- and middle-income families hardest, and could cost thousands of jobs - it is anything but fair.
This is why we need to make sure Labour win the by-election in Oldham East and Saddleworth next week – you can help get the message out to voters in Oldham about how the Tory-led coalition’s cuts are hitting the most vulnerable the hardest.
Whether you have ten minutes or a couple of hours to spare, you can help by getting on the phone and making calls for Labour in Oldham:
http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/callforlabour
The VAT hike that started to bite yesterday is just the start – this government is determined to slash and burn, making ideologically-driven cuts that threaten jobs, homes and our public services.
The Tory defence of a tax hike that hits the poorest hardest shows just how preposterous it was for George Osborne to claim that “we’re all in this together”.
A week tomorrow, voters in Oldham will go to the polls to elect their new Member of Parliament. It’s going to be a close race, and you can help to make sure that people in Oldham know what the Coalition government really stands for – and just how true-blue their colours really are.
Making calls is really easy and you don't even need to leave the house. Call for Labour in Oldham now:
http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/callforlabour
Help spread the word about what this Tory-led government really stands for – and what their cuts and unfair tax hikes mean for ordinary working people.
Thank you,
Helen
PS. If you live near Oldham, you can go and help the campaign on the ground – even an hour of your time will help. The campaign centre is open from 8.30am until 7pm every day from now until the election. It is located at 11 Lees Road, Oldham, OL4 1JS. If you want to call ahead or if you have any questions then please call 07872 417249.
View CommentsConDem cuts threaten social care
08.11.10
A new survey of local authorities has shown that over half believe that cuts will impact directly on care services that help the elderly and people with disabilities to live in their own homes.
According to responses to a BBC local radio survey, 46 out of 87 responding councils said that they were concerned about their ability to fund care services in the future.
The Tories claim to have invested in social care, diverting £2 billion of the NHS budget (that they say they have protected) into care services. However, one third of the councils responding to this survey said there will be no real terms increase in their social care spend next year.
Michelle Mitchell, of Charity Age UK, said:
"Even seemingly modest cuts could see a quarter of a million older people lose the essential home-based care and support they rely on. It's down to each local authority to protect the most vulnerable and frail in their community by promising to preserve local care funding and spend every penny of the £2 billion earmarked by the Treasury on social care."
View CommentsHustings
14.09.10
It was standing room only at the Unions Together Labour leadership hustings at TUC Congress last night with over three hundred delegates attending - and over two hundred of you submitted questions to us online. Guardian journalist Allegra Stratton put them to the candidates - and was licensed to challenge anyone who didn't give you a straight answer.
Unsurprisingly, the economy provided an early focus for questions, with trade unionists on the frontline against what Tony Woodley described as "the most ruthless cuts of a lifetime" - and looking for a Labour leader who can win the argument against them. All of the contenders made clear that they intended to do just that. Comparisons to Greece were scorned, and instead parallels drawn with 1945 when Labour built the NHS despite wartime debts. There was a consensus that Labour had to fight the cuts not just as unfair but dangerous and damaging to the economy, while the candidates outlined their alternative economic plans. All of the candidates went on to talk about how they would work with affiliated trade unionists to fight the cuts, and thanked them for their efforts.
Another hot topic was the funding of political parties, with the coalition threatening the historic Labour link. Lisa Johnson had submitted a question by email asking about the threat carried from continuing the Hayden Phillips review of funding, and the candidates answered by committing themselves to the link. Some made the point that while Labour is funded by hundreds of thousands or ordinary trade unionists, the Tories are bank-rolled by a tax-dodging billionaire in Belize.
Owen Jones also had an email question read out on trade union rights. There was a general agreement that the status quo wasn't working and the candidates had various proposals for change, such as ballot reform and online voting.
GMB General Secretary Paul Kenny summed up by emphasising the work that the party and unions can do together, and concluded that now is the time to look forward for Labour. And as affiliated trade unionists, we all have a role in doing that - make sure you vote to have your say on what that future is.
If you were at the hustings, we'd also like to know what you think - please join the debate and leave a comment below.
There was also a lot of media coverage for the event, including the BBC, Guardian and Times.
View CommentsAt the forefront
02.09.10
In 2001 the Labour Party campaigned under the banner of "A lot done - a lot to do."
That slogan holds true today when it comes to the equality agenda. I am truly proud of what Labour achieved in government - from the national minimum wage and vastly improved family leave, to getting more women into Parliament, and acting to end the slavery of migrant domestic workers, to so much more.
But we must do more. As the ConDem budget means the most vulnerable will be paying the highest price for the economic crisis, Labour has to ensure we speak for the whole of Britain. We must be a diverse Party, grounded in the communities we represent.
I believe that the next leader of the Labour Party, whoever that may be, must make sure that we continue to be the Party of equality. Over the past weeks, TULO have asked each of the leadership candidates to tell us what they would do to make Labour more diverse, and to ensure that we continue to be at the forefront of fighting for equality.
This week, Party members and members of affiliated trade unions will receive their ballot papers for this important election - that's why I'd like you to read the candidates' responses on equality and diversity in full, and think about what they have to say when you cast your vote.
http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/party-of-equality
This is a snapshot of what each of the candidates has said:
Diane Abbott argues, "I hope to be able to double the membership of black and ethnic minority Labour Party members in the course of this campaign. Doing this would change the face of the party forever and make sure our politicians not only look like our voters, but have their interests at heart."
Ed Balls argues, "I am proposing a special Diversity Fund to help more under-represented groups - including women, BAME groups, disabled people and those from ordinary backgrounds - to become MPs or Councillors."
Andy Burnham argues, "I will ensure that the proportion of women across Shadow Government reflects, as a minimum, the proportion of women in the Parliamentary Labour Party."
David Miliband argues, "I would also continue my longstanding support for All Women Shortlists (AWS) and will aim to increase transparency - at least 50 of the top 100 target seats should be AWS. As leader, I would appoint a Shadow Women's and Equalities minister and would make sure that the Shadow Cabinet is made up of at least a third women, to reflect the current balance in the PLP."
Ed Miliband argues, "I've pledged to ensure that 50% of the cabinet should be women. Having a Cabinet-level Shadow Women's Minister as a visible and valued champion is essential, as is supporting and encouraging more women to stand for local government - because we need women to be fairly represented at all levels."
This agenda matters. It's becoming all the more clear that under this ConDem coalition it will be women, children, the elderly, those suffering from long-term illness, disabled people and the unemployed who will be hit the hardest. We have to speak out against the Coalition when their policies are in such opposition to the values of fairness that we hold so dear.
But to do that, we must go further in becoming a Party that is truly representative. That means our Party leadership and membership needs to be more diverse. Whoever is our next leader, we need to see real action to get more women into Parliament, and we need to ensure that Labour is better connected with ordinary trade union members - and that's just the start.
As we elect our new leader over the next weeks, we have the opportunity to ensure that equality remains at the heart of our Party, as we write the next chapter of our history.
Please take a moment to read what the candidates have to say on this important issue, and think about it when you're casting your vote.
http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/party-of-equality
View CommentsYour questions answered - Week Eight - Equality and Diversity
27.08.10
The Labour Party has always prided itself on being the Party of equality and diversity. How will you ensure that Labour’s shadow cabinet and the PLP are representative of women and men? What one thing would you do to make sure that Labour is better connected with and representative of ordinary trade union members?
Diane Abbott:
As Britain’s first black female MP, it is no surprise to me that twenty three years later, I am the first black person to contend the leadership of a political party.
However, I am proud to be running to lead the party that has done more than any other to promote equality and diversity.
I am backed by BAME Labour in my bid to become leader, and with their help, I hope to be able to double the membership of black and ethnic minority Labour Party members in the course of this campaign.
Doing this would change the face of the party forever and make sure our politicians not only look like our voters, but have their interests at heart.
I am in favour of 50/50 ratio for the shadow cabinet.
I was a leading campaigner for all women’s shortlists in the 1980’s when it was not a popular idea. I was also equalities advisor to the former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. Because we took positive action on women’s representation, we saw the highest ever number of women MPs’ elected in 1997. The other political parties are still scrambling to keep up, years down the line.
As for the PLP, it is essential that we make similar changes as we would in shadow cabinet.
The one thing that would ensure Labour is better connected with ordinary trade union members is to pick me as your leader.
I have worked as a trade union official and have never been part of the Westminster elite that made decisions without consulting members.
Part of my promise as Labour leader is to listen and act in the interests of members and voters, not of party insiders.
Ed Balls:
Equality is at the centre of Labour’s beliefs. That’s why as part of my contract with the Labour Party in this contest I am proposing a special Diversity Fund to help more under-represented groups – including women, BAME groups, disabled people and those from ordinary backgrounds – to become MPs or Councillors.
As we champion equal pay, improve support for disabled children, tackle homophobic bullying or defeat the racist BNP in the wider society, so we must be determined to ensure equality in our own party.
I support the goal of having half of women in Labour’s shadow cabinet – and in the PLP too. To deliver this we need not only targets and all-women shortlists but a change in culture in our party and in Westminster too.
We have made great progress on equality, thanks to campaigns often led by women in the Labour Party, but Britain remains unequal and we need a stronger voice for the diverse range of women in our Party too, including trade union women.
So to strengthen links between the Labour Party and the union movement I have also said we should extend the £1 youth membership rate to all affiliated union members who haven’t yet joined the party.
You can read more about these issues in my response to the Lead for Women campaign here.
Andy Burnham:
"When we think of the milestones we reached in government the Labour family has a great equality and diversity record to be proud of: the Racial and Religious Hatred Act, the Equalities Act, the first black cabinet minister, the first Muslim minister, the first black woman minister to speak at the Commons dispatch box, Civil Partnerships, gay adoption and the repeal of Section 28.
Now in Opposition we must maintain the momentum we had in government. The party I lead will offer additional training and mentoring for our newly-elected representatives, which is particularly important for young, women and BAME members for whom the support has too often simply not been available. I will also ensure that the proportion of women across Shadow and Government reflects, as a minimum, the proportion of women in the Parliamentary Labour Party. My online manifesto calls for Labour to continue the great progress made with all-women shortlists to ensure there are more women in Parliament and on the Labour benches.
Providing support and listening to our members and those within the Labour family are key to Labour’s future success, to end the disconnection between the Party, its members and supporters. That means closer ties to the trade union movement, not just at the top of the Party, but from constituencies up. Working together, we can be a force for good within our communities and ensure that we never again lose sight of what it means to be Labour."
David Miliband:
I am lucky to be surrounded by a number of strong women in my life: my mother, my wife and my key political advisers. They all tell me the same thing — we need a new kind of politics which promotes and supports women from the grass roots up. Only then will we see change at the top.
I want our parliamentary party to reflect our country – that’s why I want a 50:50 gender balance in the PLP by the next election. To achieve this, I am committed to raising money for a Leadership Academy to provide high quality mentoring and training, bringing in experts from the public and private sector. I would also continue my longstanding support for All Women Shortlists and will aim to increase transparency - at least 50 of the top 100 target seats should be AWS.
As leader I would appoint a Shadow Women’s and Equalities minister and would make sure that the Shadow Cabinet is made up of at least a third women, to reflect the current balance in the PLP.
I want to lead a living breathing Labour movement rooted in workplaces and communities, truly representative of the people we serve and a voice for working people. During the campaign I have trained 1000 future leaders in the techniques of community organising, drawing on the best traditions of the Trade Unions. This is just the start. I am targeting a doubling of the party membership by the next election, including a national drive to recruit trade union levy payers to the party. I am also committed to a democratically elected Party Chair to lead the process of rebuilding our party in workplaces and communities across the country.
Ed Miliband:
The Labour Party has taken huge strides towards achieving equal representation in Parliament – far more than any other party – but there is more still to be done. We have many talented female MPs and it’s time that their talents and skills were fully utilised in Cabinet. That’s why I’ve pledged to ensure that 50% of the cabinet should be women. Having a Cabinet-level Shadow Women’s Minister as a visible and valued champion is essential, as is upporting and encouraging more women to stand for local government – because we need women to be fairly represented at all levels. Labour’s rules on gender representation in local councils are there for a reason and they must be implemented. And we must never again fight a general election with so few women at the front of our campaign.
Our party changed the face of Westminster when so many Labour women were elected in 1997 but we remain far from achieving equal representation, both in our own parliamentary party, and across parliament as a whole. While we strive for the day when All Women Shortlists are no longer needed because women’s voices are heard just as clearly as men’s, I will remain a strong supporter of All Women Shortlists as a practical tool to help us embody our values and tackle inequality.
Trade unions are a cornerstone of a civilised society. Labour’s link with the trade unions allows us to be connected to the lives of millions of working people and provides a key channel of communication between the leadership and the grassroots. We will only be able to organise effectively in opposition, and prepare ourselves for government, by listening to the concerns and aspirations of working people. And it is through the trade unions that we can encourage more people from various backgrounds into politics. One of the things that excites me about this campaign is the opportunity to work with trade unions to help organise the people, to ensure a better deal for working people and to rebuild the party into a force for governing and for transformative good in people’s lives.
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Your questions answered - Week Seven - Trade Union Rights
29.07.10
Britain has the most restrictive industrial laws in the western world, which stop unions from best representing their members. What one restriction do you think most urgently needs lifting and why?
Diane Abbott:
As a former trade union official, I know too well the struggle that some unions face in representing their members effectively. I worked as full-time Equality Officer in 1986 for ACTT (film technicians union) and I believe that post the industrial era, governments of whatever colour, have made it more difficult for trade unions to be the force for good they so often are. We often forget that trade unions do more than negotiate better pay deals - they are leaders in equality and diversity, experts in healthy and safe working environments and champions of international relations.
I support John McDonnell's Trade Union Freedom Bill and I have signed the Early Day Motion to demonstrate my support. I think we have to free up some of the legislation around industrial action which paints workers as criminals. I think we also have to simplify the technocratic rules and regulations around disputes.
But the most importantly, I want to make it unlawful to strike down an otherwise lawful ballot because of unintentional technical breaches of the regulations which would not have altered the outcome of the ballot. I would also change the law to stop employers taking vexatious injunctions.
The right to strike is a fundamental right and in Britain we have stifled this right for too long. As Labour leader, I would make sure this right is reinstated.
Ed Balls:
Being a union member seems tough right now: public service jobs, pay and pensions under attack; ideological cuts that risk a double-dip recession; lawyers thwarting democratic decisions on technicalities; and the Government plotting new restrictions.
But the biggest underlying threat facing unions is falling union membership - especially but not only in the private sector. That's why unions like Unite, the CWU, Unison and GMB have stepped up organising efforts.
Unions repeatedly proved themselves to be a force for good and I want to enable unions to organise to represent their members properly. The ILO proclaims a right to organise in free, democratic societies. I want to improve the Freedom to Organise in modern Britain.
Labour empowered workers to vote for recognition. But the right of access to staff only applies where a formal ballot process is underway. Catch 22 is how to get to this stage. It is currently too easy for employers to be obstructive.
Laws can't do the job for unions but laws can ensure fair and reasonable access to workers who are interested in joining.
And once established, trade union reps need training and proper facilities to represent members effectively - we must resist the impending Government attack on facilities.
Finally I want to maximise participation. Union members should be allowed to vote in ballots in non-postal forms such as secure and secret internet and workplace balloting. Experience shows this means more people will take part.
The Freedom to Organise can help union members to help themselves.
Andy Burnham:
I have been concerned by the role of the courts in recent industrial actions, where decisions have been made on relatively minor issues which have effectively quashed legally constituted strikes. We should look again at the legislation to reassure workers who have been properly balloted and who have voted in favour of industrial action that their decision cannot be quashed on minor technicalities, brought about by unforeseen consequences of the legislation.
David Miliband:
Unions should have the freedom to recruit new members. Preventing trade union reps from entering workplaces to speak to people about the benefits of joining a union also risks creating a confrontational relationship with employers, which is not the basis for good social partnership.
We made many positive changes to industrial relations in government, including the right to recognition and the Union Modernisation Fund. The challenge of maintaining and growing union membership is one shared by our sister movements in virtually all developed nations, despite very different employment legislation. But the insecurities associated with globalisation and desire of employees to be treated with respect and have a voice at work makes the need for trade unions as important today as at anytime in our history.
The opportunity for unions is to demonstrate their appeal to workers and to today’s economy – where being a decent employer and a profitable enterprise go hand in hand, and the best workplaces are those characterised by autonomy, engagement and innovation. That means standing up to those companies who think the route to success lies in squeezing every ounce of effort out of their workforce in return for low pay and poor conditions – as a substitute for management vision and investment.
In short, we need good trade unions now more than ever. Perversely, the Tories seem to want to re-fight old battles over strike laws. Industrial disputes are at a far lower level than during the 1980s – and the last thing Britain needs is a throwback to the confrontational prescriptions of that decade.
Ed Miliband:
I'm proud of what Labour achieved in government. But I think we have to realise we did too little to improve working conditions for those who work the hardest. Too many are stuck in low wage, long hours jobs. We didn't do enough to create routes to better work and a better life. The party of the minimum wage somehow became the party of maximum flexibility to work. But we all know that flexibility for employers can lead to low wages and poor employment conditions. We didn't take enough steps to offer better protection.
The Labour Party I want to lead will fight to build a different kind of economy. An economy with greater fairness in work, a greater number of higher quality and better skilled jobs, and with greater time outside of work for people to lead more fulfilling lives.
Britain’s Trade Unions are a force for good in society. Where Unions are recognised, pay is higher and conditions are fairer. Where Unions play an active role accidents are fewer, saving life, limb and the wasted money for companies and those who work in them. We need to deepen our links with the Trade Unions and recognise that some of the mistakes of the last decade could have been avoided if we had been prepared to listen more to our party.
I am determined to make sure that the Trade Unions are able to fairly represent the interests of their members and the wider workforce. Of course industrial action is a last resort, but the right to strike is a fundamental human right which must be protected and I will make sure it is. The British Airways dispute showed that the rules governing strike ballots are in urgent need of reform. Supporting strong, vibrant unions means we must re-visit the rules relating to access to workplaces and we must ensure that during a dispute either side can refer to the mediation service ACAS. It is a real shame that so few people in the private sector are trade union members. I want to see that change.
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Why ASLEF are backing Diane Abbott
22.07.10
Why ASLEF are recommending our members vote for Diane Abbott
ASLEF’s Executive Committee is recommending that its members give Diane Abbott their first preference vote in the leadership ballot. They met all five candidates before concluding that Diane is the only candidate committed to a publicly run, publicly owned railway who clearly understands the need for change in trade union laws.
The Executive was also impressed by her desire to put ‘life, enthusiasm and democracy’ back into the Party. She knows what needs to be changed because she’s worked in the Party at every level, and is untainted by ‘parachutes or patronage’. Finally she wants to end a culture where ‘people felt they couldn’t speak out, even in favour of popular policies which Labour should be supporting – like less privatisation, no Trident, putting rail back in public hands and more investment in public housing.’
ASLEF feels Diane represents an opportunity for genuine change at a time we desperately need it.
Simon Weller is ASLEF's Acting General Secretary. ASLEF is Britain's trade union for train drivers. Its 18,500+ members are employed in the train operating companies, the freight companies, London Underground and some Light Rapid Transport.
View CommentsYour questions answered - Week Six - Agency Workers
20.07.10
The unfair treatment of agency workers causes many problems, not just for the agency workers themselves, but also for their directly employed colleagues. How should the Agency Workers Directive be implemented and enforced in order to put a stop to the exploitation of agency workers and the undercutting of permanent staff, and what other measures should be put in place? Why do you think progress was not made to sign up to and implement the Agency Workers Directive sooner under Labour, given supporting it was part of the Warwick Agreement of 2004?
Diane Abbott:
I think it was major error that the Labour government did not sign up to the Agency Workers Directive sooner.
It would have left another marvellous legacy for Labour had we begun implementing the directive in 2004.
But we did manage to get the directive through Parliament ahead of the last election, thanks to Unions who have lobbied for the support of the directive for a long time. It is down to them that we have finally been able to get it passed into law.
I voted in favour of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010, which will secure equal pay, holiday and terms for working time between vulnerable agency workers and their permanent staff counterparts after 12 weeks in the job. This will be implemented in the UK at the latest by December 2011.
However, now we are in opposition, we need to ensure the directive goes ahead as we intended.
The Tories vigorously opposed the directive from the start so we must ensure that they implement the directive as we intended. The worrying response from Ed Davey to a question from Lisa Nandy should make us raise our political antennae and be aware that this coalition could be willing to water down the proposals.
Agency workers are particularly at risk during recession and this directive is needed protect their interests. Currently they lack almost all of the rights guaranteed for normal workers from the Employment Rights Act 1996, which is just wrong.
These new regulations will see improvements for millions of workers across the UK.
For the Coalition to go back on the directive would be nothing short of a scandal.
I for one will do my best to make sure this does not happen.
Ed Balls:
While Labour put the minimum wage and other advances into law, we were far too slow to legislate for equal treatment for agency staff. The TUC's Vulnerable Workers project exposed heart-rending cases. And it was not enough to implement the posted workers directive when the floor was simply the minimum wage rather than the proper rate for the job.
Why did it happen? Because there was a school of thought in some parts of government that this would appease business. The election showed that this was futile, especially when business leaders signed a letter backing the Tories against the national insurance rise.
I support immigration and migration, which has made an immense contribution to our economy and the diversity and richness of our society. I’ve said this in front of a baying crowd of BNP supporters in my constituency and will do so again. But I don’t believe in free migration, I believe in fair migration – fair to migrant workers and to working people.
The scale and pace of migration from Eastern Europe in the second half of the last decade did have an affect on our communities, on housing, and on the wages and terms and conditions of many workers. Not acting quickly on implementing the agency and posted workers directives exacerbated that. So we should have a proper set of guarantees to stop exploitation of migrant workers and prevent unfair under-cutting.
I also support a Living Wage and was the first and only Cabinet Minister to implement it within my Department for all staff and contracted staff. But the law can’t do it all. In future unions must have the chance to organise and attract all types of worker to eradicate injustices.
Andy Burnham:
My dad was a telecomms engineer and, during the later part of his working life, he was an agency worker. That experience showed me first hand how precarious that sort of contract work can be. I have also seen the sometimes knife-edge existence that some of the families in my constituency face because of short-term contracts and the inability to access the sort of banking services the rest of us take for granted. That is why I have spoken up for agency workers during this leadership campaign.
Quite simply, the coalition's hesitation over the Directive in response to the 'the different points of view expressed by the business community' is an insult to temporary and agency workers, as well as anyone who wants Britain to be an economic and employment exemplar in the future.
I saw the Directive as a vital part of efforts to upgrade our laws for the current and future workforce, and I have already called for all job vacancies to be openly advertised, for instance. I regret that the Directive did not come into force without exemptions during Labour's last term, and we should learn from that and reform our policy-making processes accordingly. That is why I want to strengthen the trade union link, so that those mistakes are never made again and that we can truly be a Labour movement.
David Miliband:
I strongly support the Agency Workers Directive, to ensure people receive the employment rights they are due and to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable workers. This is a basic issue of fairness at work. It required negotiation between government and the social partners both here in Britain and at a European level. In retrospect, it took too long to achieve, but it was an agreement that would never have been achieved under a Tory government; hostile to both employment rights and to European cooperation.
It’s now vital that we get implementation of the Directive right. Workers should not be denied a fair wage, holiday entitlement and access to parental leave just because they are not permanently contracted with their employer. That’s why I support the TUC’s efforts to ensure the regulations prevent unscrupulous employers and agencies from avoiding the new rights – such as by shifting agency workers between jobs within the same workplace or using bogus self-employment to avoid equal treatment. Where they believe these rights are being denied, employees and trade unions should have recourse to proper dispute resolution mechanisms, including an employment tribunal if necessary.
Ed Miliband:
Fairness and dignity in work is at the heart of my vision for a more equal and stronger Britain. I'm proud of what Labour achieved in Government. But we have to realise we did too little to improve working conditions for those who work the hardest. Too many are stuck in low wage, long hours jobs. We didn't do enough to create routes to better work and a better life. And we need to do more to tackle the gap between rich and poor. That's why I am campaigning for a living wage and a high pay commission for both the public and private sector.
There are more than a million agency workers in the UK and the Agency Workers Directive is vital to ensuring their employment rights are protected and also that agency workers can't be used to undercut permanent staff.
It's a fundamental Labour belief that work should pay and those who work hard should be properly rewarded. That's why it was so important for us to implement the directive quickly. It took far too long to us to do so. I have spoken before about how some of our mistakes in Government might have been avoided if we had listened more to party and union members, and the Agency Workers Directive is a good example of this.
Now I fear the Coalition are rowing back from this commitment and I've written David Cameron in the last couple of weeks to challenge him on his plans. I will fight to protect these regulations and take-on those who are trying to undermine them.
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Your questions answered - Week Five - The Pay Gap
13.07.10
Labour stands for equality and fairness at work and in the wider community. How do we tackle the gender pay gap, discrimination and low pay in the current economic climate?
Diane Abbott:
Labour has a fantastic record of supporting people at work and I am proud to have been able to vote for some of the most progressive and radical policies of the century – The Minimum Wage Act and legislation to end discrimination in the workplace form a very proud part of our history. But Legislation isn’t the panacea and we have so much more to do to equalise pay between men and women and make sure that elements of our workforce, such as temporary and agency workers are not put at risk of exploitation.
On the issue of the Gender Pay Gap which is something that we, as a society, should be ashamed of, something radical must be put in place. When women accountants are earning up to two thirds less than their male counterparts, for example, we have to make companies and business more transparent to expose and tackle inequalities in pay between the sexes.
I’m pleased that the UK Government finally signed up to the Temporary and Agency Workers directive, albeit after some needed lobbying from Trade Unions, but I wait to see how the current Government puts the Directive into practice. My worry is that this Government led by a coalition who have shown their willingness to cosy up to sections of the business community to the detriment of the most vulnerable, will bow to pressure from some groups and water down the Directive. We must resist this vehemently.
Ed Balls:
For me, equality sits at the heart of our socialist principles. It is 100 years since the women chainmakers’ strike for a minimum wage, 42 years since the famous Ford women’s dispute and 40 years since the landmark Equal Pay Act they inspired. Though Labour has acted to narrow the pay gap, there is still a 17% pay gap for full time workers and 40% for part timers.
It's not enough to study the pay gap; we must take decisive action to narrow it. To begin with, we must defend Labour’s Equality Act from Tory back-sliding and extend the requirement to promote equality to the private sector, starting with those on government contracts and publishing every large company’s pay gap.
We cannot succeed by individual case law alone. I want to promote union-negotiated collective settlements, pay audits, equality reps and representative legal actions.
The National Minimum Wage improved women’s pay. It should rise above £7 an hour. I support the Living Wage and was the only Cabinet minister to implement the Living Wage for all my staff and contractors.
Finally tax credits and child benefit are essential in tackling family poverty and we must defend them against Tory- Lib Dem attacks.
The Tory-Lib Dem government threatens to widen inequality by reneging on equality law, undermining enforcement, slashing tax credits and benefits and cutting public sector jobs which pay women more. This could set us back decades and Labour’s new leader must put equality at the heart of our concerns.
Andy Burnham:
First off, we don’t let the boulder roll back down the hill on the advances we have made. Whether it’s on low pay, discrimination or the gender pay gap, we will not stand by and see hard won gains under Labour wither on the vine under the Tory/ Liberal coalition.
That is our main task as an Opposition over coming months. We will not allow the Conservatives to get away with dismantling progressive measures for their ideological ends under the cloak of “we can’t afford it”. We will put pressure on those shame-faced Lib Dems MPs to ensure they support us as we protect what we have built during our 13 years in office. The coalition says that it is committed greater gender equality. An easy thing to claim. We will hold them to it.
In terms of low pay, we must fight to ensure the value of the Minimum Wage does not diminish. The Tories hate the fact that the National Minimum Wage has been such a success. They will roll-out the old Tory arguments about the country not being able to afford regular increases, but it’s good for the economy, especially during such a fragile recovery, to have the low paid with more money in their pockets.
David Miliband:
In Government, Labour made real progress on tackling discrimination at work. Our Equalities legislation made provision for extra protection for employees and we were absolutely right to introduce gender pay audits.
However there is still a long way to go and the gender pay gap is still too wide. 40 years after equal pay legislation came into force, women working full-time earn on average 17% less per hour than men. For ethnic minority women, the gap is even higher at 20%. Over the course of a working life women earn £330,000 less than men.
To tackle this we need to make sure we improve the enforcement of employment rights. Proper inspection and follow up of breaches of employment laws will help tackle discrimination at work.
We also need to look at ways of ensuring employees are properly involved and informed about important decisions in the places they work. Workers need the power to tackle discrimination and improve fairness in the workplace. That’s why we need to reform corporate governance by requiring an employee representative on the remuneration committees of firms – and promoting the rights to information and consultation.
Finally, despite the minimum wage, it is wrong that there are still over 5 million low paid workers in our country today. That’s why we should campaign to ensure that anyone working in the public sector is paid a living wage – showing a lead to the private sector.
Ed Miliband:
Fairness is part of Labour’s DNA, but at times we have lost sight of what it takes to achieve a more equal society, one where people can get on whatever background they come from, one where we are not divided as we currently are by gross differences of class, wealth and power.
Above all, if we are to really achieve a fairer society we need to do more to improve working conditions for those who work the hardest. Too many are still stuck in low wage, long hours jobs. And although we achieved a lot in Government, we didn't do enough to create the routes to better work and a better life. The party of the minimum wage somehow became the party of maximum flexibility to work. But we all know that flexibility for employers can lead to low wages and poor employment conditions. We didn't take enough steps to offer better protection.
The Labour Party I want to lead will fight to build a different kind of economy. An economy with greater fairness in work, a greater number of higher quality and better skilled jobs, and with greater time outside of work for people to lead more fulfilling lives.
That’s why I am campaigning for a living wage for everyone. No one who works should live in poverty. It’s a fundamental Labour belief that work should pay and those who work hard should be properly rewarded. That’s why it was so important for us to implement the agency workers directive, although it took far too long to do so. Now the Coalition are rowing back from this commitment, and I’ve written to David Cameron to make sure the regulations stay.
We must also fight to tackle discrimination in the workplace. There can be no justification for paying people differently according to gender and firms need to be open about what people are paid and about how they determine people’s pay scales.
Time outside of work matters as well, particularly to those working long hours in the hardest jobs. I want everyone to have the right to request flexible work and we need to focus more on the responsibilities of employers to invest in their workforce and develop their skills.
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