Agenda item

6.1

It was moved by Councillor Julie Dore, and seconded by Councillor Ben Miskell, that this Council:-

(a)       notes that:

(i)         insecure work includes people working on zero-hours contracts, temporary and agency work, and low-paid self-employment;

(ii)        3.5 million people could be in insecure work by the start of 2022 if current trends continue - a rise of 290,000; that’s the equivalent of the entire working population of Sheffield;

(iii)       workers on zero-hours and short-hours contracts earn a third less per hour than the average worker;

(iv)       1 in 13 Black, Asian and minority ethnic employees are in insecure jobs, compared to 1 in 20 white employees; and

(v)        insecure work costs the HM Treasury £4 billion a year in lost income tax and national insurance contributions, along with extra benefits and tax credits;

(b)       further notes that:

(i)         UK workers are, on average, £38 a week worse off than before the crash in 2008 (figures to April 2017); this is the longest squeeze on pay since Victorian times;

(ii)        public sector workers’ real wages are down thousands of pounds a year compared to 2010; for example, prison officers and paramedics are all down over £3,800 a year, firefighters are down nearly £2,900, while teachers are down approximately £2,500;

(iii)       just one in three people (33%) say their employer offers regular training opportunities - and one in four workers (24%) say that no training is offered at their workplace at all apart from a new starters’ induction;

(iv)       more than a million workers suffer from ill-health related to their employment, and around 23 million working days are lost each year due to injury or illness in the workplace;

(v)        almost one in three workers have been bullied in the workplace;

(vi)       more than a third (37%) of Black, Asian and minority ethnic workers have been bullied, abused or singled out at work; and

(vii)      more than half (52%) of women and nearly two-thirds (63%) of women aged 18-24 years old have experienced sexual harassment at work;

(c)        believes that:

(i)         every job should be a great job: that means every worker must be paid fairly; work in a safe and healthy workplace; be treated decently and with respect; have guaranteed hours; have the chance to be represented by unions and be consulted on what matters at work; and have the chance to get on in life;

(ii)        currently, too many jobs in the UK aren’t great jobs – and too many people feel that great jobs aren’t available where they live;

(iii)       it is positive that there is now a public debate about how we improve jobs in the UK – much of it driven by union campaigning and legal action against employers like Sports Direct, Uber and Hermes; and

(iv)       however, the proposals put forward by Mathew Taylor’s review of employment standards for the Government are inadequate; and

(d)       resolves to:

(i)         support the TUC’s Great Jobs Agenda, which sets out the actions employers and the Government must take for every job to be a great job, and tell the TUC of this support;

(ii)        ask the Cabinet Member for Finance to present a paper to the Council’s Cabinet setting out the actions the Authority proposes to take to ensure that every job in this Authority is a great job, and relating those to the six standards in the Great Jobs Agenda; at a minimum this should include:

(1)       signing up to be a Living Wages authority, where no-one is paid less than the real Living Wage;

(2)       reporting on how many workers are employed on zero or short-hours contracts, or agency contracts, and what actions the Authority is taking to reduce this; and

(3)       setting out how the Authority proposes to use its procurement process to raise employment standards among its subcontractors;

(iii)       write to all MPs in Sheffield and the Sheffield City Region Mayor informing them of our position and encouraging them to support the Great Jobs Agenda too;

(iv)       invite the Regional Secretary of Yorkshire & Humber TUC to present the Great Jobs Agenda to the next meeting of the City Growth Board;

(v)        make increasing job quality a key part of the conversation when pursuing local economic development opportunities in Sheffield; and

(vi)       continue to value meaningful workforce engagement and representation through our recognised trade unions.

6.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Martin Smith, seconded by Councillor Joe Otten, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the addition of the following words:-

(a)       notes that trade unions have been a force for good in our country, championing the rights and living standards for everyone;

(b)       believes the British economy is simply not working for enough people today and is not fit to face the challenges of tomorrow, in that:

(i)        the inequalities of wealth and income are getting worse;

(ii)       the economy is geographically and sectorally unbalanced, and productive investment is too low; and

(iii)      much economic activity is unsustainable, threatening the planet on which future generations depend;

(c)        notes that a substantial portion of UK health & safety regulations and workers’ rights originated from the European Union;

(d)       notes a government impact assessment has identified workers’ rights as an area that might be used to ‘maximise regulatory opportunities’ after Brexit;

(e)       notes that the Prime Minister has pledged not to erode workers’ rights after the UK leaves the EU but has failed to commit to maintaining any specific protections;

(f)        agrees therefore that the greatest current threat to those rights and living standards is leaving the European Union; and

(g)       resolves to:

(i)         support the creation and widespread adoption of a ‘good employer’ standard covering areas such as paying a living wage, avoiding unpaid internships and using name-blind recruitment to make it easier for customers and investors to exercise choice and influence;

(ii)        support an independent review to consult on how to set a genuine Living Wage across all sectors of the UK economy;

(iii)       support the extension of transparency requirements on larger employers to include publishing the number of people in the organisation who are paid less than the Living Wage, together with the ratio of top and median pay; and

(iv)       write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and ask for a formal commitment to maintain or enhance all of the employment rights currently derived from EU law.

6.3

It was then moved by Councillor Alison Teal, seconded by Councillor Martin Phipps, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (d) to (g) as follows, and the re-lettering of original paragraph (d) as a new paragraph (h):-

(d)       believes that insecure work is the product of a system which prioritises profit over people;

(e)       believes that, while the current system exists, there can be no reasonable expectation of seeing an end to the problems identified in the TUC’s Great Jobs Agenda;

(f)        notes this Council first took steps in July 2009 to implement the Living Wage, on the motion of Green Councillor, Bernard Little;

(g)       believes the TUC’s Great Jobs Agenda description of a great job outlines merely the minimum standard all employees ought to expect.

6.4

It was then moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson, and formally seconded by Councillor Kaltum Rivers, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (e) to (h) as follows:-

(e)       furthermore, notes that the governments of recent years have not so much removed workers’ rights as the means of obtaining those, and condemns:

(i)         cuts to legal aid that helped workers enforce their employment rights against employers who broke the law;

(ii)        the unlawful introduction of employment tribunal fees to deter claimants from seeking their rights; and

(iii)       the abolition of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s free advice helpline and grant funding for legal advice and representation to challenge breaches of anti-discrimination and human-rights legislation;

(f)        recognises that timely advice on employment rights is critical to maintaining decent jobs and has a hugely beneficial social impact;

(g)       notes the drastic reduction of free employment advice services in the city; and

(h)       therefore asks officers to take steps to identify funding to support three full-time equivalent posts to provide employment advice in not-for-profit advice services in the city.

6.5

After contributions from three other Members, and following a right of reply from Councillor Julie Dore, the amendment moved by Councillor Martin Smith was put to the vote and was negatived.

6.6

The amendment moved by Councillor Alison Teal was then put to the vote and was also negatived.

6.7

The amendment moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson was then put to the vote and was also negatived.

6.8

The original Motion was then put to the vote and carried as follows:-

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)       notes that:

(i)         insecure work includes people working on zero-hours contracts, temporary and agency work, and low-paid self-employment;

(ii)        3.5 million people could be in insecure work by the start of 2022 if current trends continue - a rise of 290,000; that’s the equivalent of the entire working population of Sheffield;

(iii)       workers on zero-hours and short-hours contracts earn a third less per hour than the average worker;

(iv)       1 in 13 Black, Asian and minority ethnic employees are in insecure jobs, compared to 1 in 20 white employees; and

(v)       insecure work costs the HM Treasury £4 billion a year in lost income tax and national insurance contributions, along with extra benefits and tax credits;

(b)       further notes that:

(i)         UK workers are, on average, £38 a week worse off than before the crash in 2008 (figures to April 2017); this is the longest squeeze on pay since Victorian times;

(ii)        public sector workers’ real wages are down thousands of pounds a year compared to 2010; for example, prison officers and paramedics are all down over £3,800 a year, firefighters are down nearly £2,900, while teachers are down approximately £2,500;

(iii)       just one in three people (33%) say their employer offers regular training opportunities - and one in four workers (24%) say that no training is offered at their workplace at all apart from a new starters’ induction;

(iv)       more than a million workers suffer from ill-health related to their employment, and around 23 million working days are lost each year due to injury or illness in the workplace;

(v)        almost one in three workers have been bullied in the workplace;

(vi)       more than a third (37%) of Black, Asian and minority ethnic workers have been bullied, abused or singled out at work; and

(vii)     more than half (52%) of women and nearly two-thirds (63%) of women aged 18-24 years old have experienced sexual harassment at work;

(c)        believes that:

(i)         every job should be a great job: that means every worker must be paid fairly; work in a safe and healthy workplace; be treated decently and with respect; have guaranteed hours; have the chance to be represented by unions and be consulted on what matters at work; and have the chance to get on in life;

(ii)        currently, too many jobs in the UK aren’t great jobs – and too many people feel that great jobs aren’t available where they live;

(iii)       it is positive that there is now a public debate about how we improve jobs in the UK – much of it driven by union campaigning and legal action against employers like Sports Direct, Uber and Hermes; and

(iv)      however, the proposals put forward by Mathew Taylor’s review of employment standards for the Government are inadequate; and

(d)       resolves to:

(i)         support the TUC’s Great Jobs Agenda, which sets out the actions employers and the Government must take for every job to be a great job, and tell the TUC of this support;

(ii)        ask the Cabinet Member for Finance to present a paper to the Council’s Cabinet setting out the actions the Authority proposes to take to ensure that every job in this Authority is a great job, and relating those to the six standards in the Great Jobs Agenda; at a minimum this should include:

(1)       signing up to be a Living Wages authority, where no-one is paid less than the real Living Wage;

(2)       reporting on how many workers are employed on zero or short-hours contracts, or agency contracts, and what actions the Authority is taking to reduce this; and

(3)       setting out how the Authority proposes to use its procurement process to raise employment standards among its subcontractors;

(iii)       write to all MPs in Sheffield and the Sheffield City Region Mayor informing them of our position and encouraging them to support the Great Jobs Agenda too;

(iv)       invite the Regional Secretary of Yorkshire & Humber TUC to present the Great Jobs Agenda to the next meeting of the City Growth Board;

(v)        make increasing job quality a key part of the conversation when pursuing local economic development opportunities in Sheffield; and

(vi)       continue to value meaningful workforce engagement and representation through our recognised trade unions.