Prospect and the CIPD host panel on ‘Working Together to Make Work Pay’

This week, Prospect hosted a panel on ‘Working Together to Make Work Pay, bringing together trade unions, employers and Government officials to discuss how we can work together to help improve industrial relations and implement the biggest change to workers’ rights in a generation through the Employment Rights Bill (ERB). 

Minister for Employment Rights, Justin Madders MP, addressing the panel

The panel followed the recent release of our joint report with the CIPD on implementing the ERB, which you can read here. 

The panel included Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy, Chief Executive of the CIPD Peter Cheese, Deputy Director of the British Chambers of Commerce Jane Gratton, and Director of the Involvement and Participation Association Nita Clarke OBE.  

The meeting was also addressed by Minister for Employment Rights, Justin Madders MP, who has been leading the work on the Employment Rights Bill. The Minister welcomed the work that Prospect and the CIPD have been doing on industrial relations and said that the government was looking carefully at the proposals we have made. 

The panel argued that businesses and unions need to improve their employment relations skills if they are to work together effectively and support efforts to grow the economy.  

The employers in attendance cited revealing research showing that employers that don’t currently work with trade unions are the most opposed to the new rights being introduced by the ERB, which will make it easier for trade unions to achieve recognition, access workplaces and take industrial action. 

In contrast, where employers already recognise trade unions, they are generally more supportive of the proposed changes. 

These findings suggest many of employers’ concerns are likely due to a fear of the unknown and a lack of experience and employment relations skills, rather than the reality of working with unions. 

As a result, our General Secretary made clear how we must take steps to improve relations between trade unions and employers as the Bill comes into effect, and the Government must take a leading role in providing a framework around which this partnership can be built. 

Only through partnership will we work together to make work pay.