Twelve leading academic employment relations experts have written to the Labour Party government calling on policymakers to strengthen trade unions‘ right to be consulted on major business decisions.
The academics have endorsed the High Pay Centre think tank’s submission to the consultation on a new Industrial Relations Framework issued by the Department for Business and Trade.
UK workers right still lag behind Europe – thanks to squashing of trade unions
The High Pay Centre argue that workers in the UK have less voice in the workplace than in almost any other European country, citing research from the European Trade Union Institute which ranks the UK 26th out of 28 countries for worker participation at work.
The think tank’s consultation response states that the proposed industrial relations framework, including plans to permit unions access to relevant workplaces and rules preventing employers from manipulating worker votes on union recognition, is to be welcomed.
However, it does not clarify rights for unions to be consulted on decisions that will affect their members.
UK workers have a right to request consultation on business decisions, as part of the Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) regulations. However, the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices found that just 14% of workplaces had taken up this right.
29% of workers in workplaces with over 50 people are trade union members, while 67% of these workplaces have at least some union presence. The High Pay Centre argue that giving workers’ rights to consultation would boost employee productivity and wellbeing, and lead to senior management’s decisions being better informed by practical understanding of the business.
Labour still needs to go further
The consultation response recommends that where workers vote to recognise a union, management should ensure:
- Union representatives are presented with key information about major strategic and business practice issues in a timely manner, in order to solicit and feed in the views of the workforce.
- Union representatives have regular access to senior decision-makers, in order to raise views and suggestions of the workforce on business issues.
- Employers are accountable to their workforce via unions for explaining how they have considered and acted upon the views expressed by the workforce and communicated to the business leadership.
High Pay Centre Director, Luke Hildyard said:
To boost productivity and deliver better work and better working lives, we need to build a more democratic business culture where the workforce via unions are genuine partners and participants in decision making processes. We live in a less deferential, less hierarchical, more connected society. A modern industrial relations framework should reflect this change by guaranteeing workers more say over the decisions that affect them.
Supporting voices
A letter supporting the response to the Labour government has been signed by the following academics:
Ödül Bozkurt, Professor of Work and Employment, University of Sussex Business School
Niall Cullinane, Professor of Employment Relations, Queens University Belfast
Tony Dobbins, Professor of Work and Employment Relations, University of Birmingham
Tony Dundon, Professor of HRM and Employment Relations, University of Limerick
Chris Forde, Professor of Employment Studies, University of Leeds
Irena Grugulis, Professor of Work and Skills, University of Leeds
Ed Heery, Emeritus Professor of Employment Relations, Cardiff University
Jean Jenkins, Professor of Employment Relations, Cardiff University
Stewart Johnstone, Professor of HRM and Employment Relations, University of Strathclyde
Sian Moore, Professor of Work and Employment, Anglia Ruskin University
Chris Rees, Professor of Employment Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London
Melanie Simms, Professor of Work and Employment, University of Glasgow
Featured image via the Canary
