7. How is the Welsh Government supporting fair work in Wales? OAQ53854

The Welsh Government already promotes fair work in areas such as procurement and social care. We have also welcomed the Fair Work Commission’s recent report and will be working in social partnership to consider taking forward its recommendations.

Thank you. Well, responding to your statement here last week—

Can I interrupt you, Mark Isherwood? I'm terribly sorry. Llywydd, my fault entirely—the Deputy Minister was going to take this question, so can I apologise profusely and allow her to do this?

You're far too keen, Minister. The Deputy Minister to respond. Carry on with your supplementary.

Okay. Responding to your colleague the Minister's statement here last week on the Fair Work Commission report, I also refer to the UK 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 his recommendations in 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?

Can I thank the Member for allowing me to answer the question and for asking the question? The Member raised some very interesting points there in terms of Matthew Taylor, previously of Institute for Public Policy Research background. Clearly, 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. I know that my colleague the Minister announced that we accepted the six of the commission's priority recommendations, and what we'll need to do now is to—. Our task will be to consider carefully each of the wider recommendations and determine the best way forward in terms of implementing them.

Minister, for many years young people have been discriminated against in employment. Would you welcome the commitment by the Labour Party now to end that discrimination against 16 to 18-year-olds so they will be paid the rate for the job not a rate attributable to their age, and end this long-standing injustice young people have had to face in the workplace?

In a word, 'yes'. When the minimum wage first came in, it was groundbreaking legislation but it was meant to be a minimum. We see now, and we've heard recently—some students came in to talk to us—how 16 to 18-year-olds also have caring responsibilities, and may also need to pay rent. So, also, we need to make sure, on the other side of the coin, actually—. Some more unscrupulous employers may use that to potentially not employ perhaps mature students and only employ younger students because they can pay them less money. The Member will be familiar probably with the Fair Work Commission recommendation that believes workers should be fairly rewarded the rates of pay of the Welsh living wage and should be provided the minimum wage for all working hours and all workers.