Joel James: Yes, moved.
Joel James: Yes, moved.
Joel James: Yes, moved.
Joel James: Yes, moved.
Joel James: Yes.
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd. And again, I really do not understand the rationale behind this Government's thinking. You want a Bill that improves the well-being of people across Wales, for the purpose of improving economic, environmental, social and cultural well-being, yet you do not want to hear directly from any of the businesses or their employees about relevant matters. I really do think that you...
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd, and I will speak to my amendments. The majority of active enterprises in Wales are small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for around 99 per cent of all total enterprises and for 62 per cent of all employment and 38 per cent of all turnover. The SME business community does not organise itself in the same way as Government or trade unions in terms of presenting a...
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd, and I must confess I still have no idea why there's so much resistance to an independent chair for this advisory council. I really do think that the Government is missing an opportunity, because an independent chair would not only be able to scrutinise and fight for improvements, but would actually be able to spend time investigating some of the most important issues that...
Joel James: Yes. I'm sorry; I've got a cold.
Joel James: The SPC aims are to provide advice and information to Government Ministers. If you look at the tripartite social partnership councils in Europe—and I cannot account for all of them, but—large proportions of them have independent chairs who, in turn, have relevant and specialist knowledge. In response to these proposed amendments at Stage 2, my opposition colleague Ken Skates remarked that...
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd. Having them represented on an advisory council consequently creates two significant problems. Firstly, it either produces an echo chamber for the First Minister and Government Ministers, to only hear the things that they want to hear, or, secondly, it becomes an advisory council where, if the Government does not take trade union advice, the Government can be threatened...
Joel James: Trade unions are more than willing to use this mechanism, as we have seen with the Unite general secretary—
Joel James: No. —the Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, threatening Sir Keir Starmer with a reduction in funding last July after he sacked Sam Tarry from the front bench for joining a picket line. The council, in its current form, means that the integrity of the advice and the impartiality of the First Minister will always be questioned. If the First Minister takes the advice of the council with...
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd, for this opportunity to contribute, and I would like to, first of all, speak to my own amendments. The reality is that the bulk of membership on the social partnership council will made up of trade union council members, who will represent trade unions that directly fund the Labour Party. We have only ever had a Labour First Minister in Wales, and I think it's absolutely...
Joel James: First Minister, according to Stats Wales, in December 2022, Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board, which covers the Cynon valley, along with Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and the rest of Rhondda Cynon Taf, had a staggering 13,732 patients waiting more than 14 weeks for diagnostic and therapy services, out of a population of 450,000. This represents 36 per cent of the total amount of people waiting more...
Joel James: Well, I'm sure that's a question you can point to the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership. —a broadly favourable picture of this legislation, concluding it will boost public confidence around access to vital services during walkouts, and stated that there would be economic benefits that would result from less disruption to day-to-day business activity. I will, however, concede that there...
Joel James: —concluding it would boost public confidence around access to vital services during walkouts. Go on.
Joel James: Thank you, Llywydd, and I move this amendment in the name of Darren Millar. It is clear that the motion presented by Plaid Cymru seems to have completely misrepresented the UK Government's policy on minimum service levels by claiming that it is an attempt by the UK Government to gain sufficient coercive power to curtail both trade union and worker ability to engage in lawful industrial...
Joel James: I'd like to thank my colleague Rhys for raising such an important question. Minister, I recently listened to a Safer Communities podcast with the Prevent community engagement officer for Cardiff Council where incel ideology was brought up. Worryingly, common incel themes of self-loathing and grievance are more often than not transformed into misogynistic violence and the degradation of women,...
Joel James: Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement and for your advanced copy. As always, I'm disappointed by the ideological narrative that comes from this Welsh Government, particularly in your remarks regarding the minimum service levels Bill. Because as you know, Deputy Minister, the International Labour Organization, which the TUC subscribes to, supports in principle minimum service...
