Prospect responds to Prime Minister pledges in speech on innovation

Andy Burnham has made a speech at an innovation summit in which he pledged to take action on non-compete clauses, and also announced that he would divert funding from UKRI into “‘place-based hubs”.

Prospect has campaigned against non-compete clauses arguing that they represent an unfair balance of power in favour of employers, effectively tying people into jobs they want to leave.

Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect, said:

“Our members, particularly in the tech sector, will welcome that the government intends to act on non-compete clauses.

“Employers have many ways to protect their businesses without resorting to these excessive clauses.

“There is an imbalance of power in these relationships, most workers do not seek legal advice before signing an employment contract, and many do not understand the consequences of such clauses.

“Many employers use boilerplate contracts which are often not enforceable in any event, but workers should not be left in fear of having to defend themselves in court or be subjected to threats when they want to leave their job.”

The Prime Minister also said that he wanted to divert some funding from UKRI to “place-based hubs” in an effort to drive localised growth and innovation. Impending cuts to programmes at UKRI, including many under the Science and Technology Facilities Council are already putting jobs and capability at risk and Prospect is arguing for a pause in those cuts for a proper strategic rethink.

Sue Ferns OBE, Senior Deputy General Secretary of Prospect, said:

“Making sure research and innovation supports every part of the country is a good aim. We are proud to represent members working on the cutting edge in UKRI who work in every corner of the UK.

“However, we need to understand the detail of these changes to the UKRI budget. We already have a situation where key facilities including those in the North of England, like Daresbury and Boulby Mine are under threat from cuts.

“Ahead of the Budget it is important that the government pauses these cuts that the Prime Minister inherited from the previous government. This will mean the government and UKRI leadership can take a step back and work with unions, Mayors, and the private and public sector on a new strategy for UKRI.”