Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government, Mark Isherwood AM, has criticised the Welsh Government for failing to boost the labour market in Wales and called for those in power to consider the UK Government’s ‘Good Work Plan’.
Mr Isherwood is concerned that Wales is lagging behind and believes there has been too much rhetoric and not enough action by the Welsh Government to address the situation.
Questioning the Minister for Housing and Local Government on how the Welsh Government is supporting fair work in Wales he said:
“Responding to your colleague the Minister's statement here last week on the Fair Work Commission report, I also refer to the UK Conservative Government's 'Good Work Plan'. This follows recommendations made by Matthew Taylor, the Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts, the mission of which is to enrich society through ideas and actions, so, clearly, not a partisan report.
“The Plan outlines action to implement the recommendations in his review of employment practices and modern working to ensure employee rights are protected and upgraded as we leave the EU, and that the UK labour market remains successful and competitive into the future.
“What consideration, therefore, will the Welsh Government give to the 'Good Work Plan', alongside its consideration of the consultation outcome on its own Fair Work Commission report?”
The Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government responded.
She said:
“We're proud of the record we have in Wales in terms of how we've worked with social partnership and the things that's been able to deliver before in terms of a living wage in the NHS to the agricultural advisory panel. But now we want to look at what's on the table and build on the previous work in a way that works for workers and works for Wales, and looking at those 48 recommendations of the Fair Work Commission and outlining how we can drive forward fair work in Wales.”
Mr Isherwood added: “We’ve had years of rhetoric, but the reality is that although the UK employment rate for the 3 months to March 2019 increased to 76.1%, the employment rate in Labour-led Wales fell to 75.4%; although the UK unemployment rate fell to 3.8%, the unemployment rate in Labour-led Wales increased to 4.5%; the largest estimated decrease in workforce jobs in the UK was in Labour-led Wales at 9,000; and according to latest research commissioned by the coalition of charities in the End Child Poverty Network, Wales was the only UK nation to see a rise in child poverty last year. Perhaps this Welsh Government should blame UK Government less and listen more.”
