Trade union bodies, the TUC and the GMB, commented that they would have liked more radical proposals from Matthew Taylor and his team in his Good Work report reviewing modern employment practices that were published last week.
The Taylor review outlines seven steps which it believes will provide progress towards fair and decent work for people as well as realistic
scope for development and fulfilment. The proposals include a national strategy for work, applying to all forms of employment, that should be explicitly directed toward the goal of good work for all, recognising that good work and plentiful work can and should go together.
The report also stated that responsible corporate governance, good management and strong employment relations within an organisation, was more important than regulation which is why it was important that companies were seen to take good work seriously
and are open about their practices and that all workers are able to be engaged and heard.
Commenting after the report’s publication of today’s TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “It’s no secret that we wanted this review to be bolder. This is not the game-changer needed to end insecurity at work. A ‘right to request’ guaranteed hours is no right at all for many workers trapped on zero-hours contracts. And workers deserve the minimum wage for every minute they work, not just the time employers choose to pay them for.
“But Matthew Taylor is right to call for equal pay for agency staff and sick leave for low-paid workers — something which unions have long campaigned for. The government should move swiftly to implement these recommendations. Theresa May cannot use this report as a shield to hide from her responsibilities. We need a proper crackdown on bad bosses who treat their staff like disposable labour. And an end to employment tribunal fees that price workers out of justice.”
Tim Roache, GMB General Secretary, said: “For millions of people the world of work is like the Wild West – people don’t know if they are coming or going. Why are they not given the basic right to plan their lives even a week in advance?
“Given the epidemic of precarious work in the UK, this report simply does not go far enough in fixing a broken system that gives employers the choice of whether to treat their workers fairly or not. Action on the Gig Economy is overdue, but help for agency workers, those on zero hours or short hours contracts won’t happen by asking nicely or hoping bad employers find a moral compass down the back of the couch.
“We need regulations and proper enforcement – until we get that, we will all continue to pay for shareholder profits through lost tax revenue and the knock on effect poor work has for public services and our communities.”