5. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government: Working in Partnership for a Fair Work Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:13 pm on 9 February 2021.

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Photo of Hannah Blythyn Hannah Blythyn Labour 5:13, 9 February 2021

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and yes, I and the Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney do share a background of campaigning on workers' rights within the trade union movement, and I think it's timely for support for the social partnership approach in Wales, as we are marking HeartUnions Week across the UK and it's something that I am passionately supportive of as well.

I think, as the Member said, in the current circumstances, it's never been more important not just to protect and extend people's rights in the workplace and make people more aware of it, but the need for working in partnership. And like she said, it's not always easy, but it's the right thing to do and we have seen it. It is testament to that—over the past few months alone, the things we've been able to do in Wales to support people in work and actually to support businesses to do the right thing as well has been because of that forum we have for social partnership and the ability to bring all stakeholders around the table, albeit a virtual table at the moment. And as we move forward, what we want to do is strengthen that and formalise that commitment and that practice of social partnership with our social partnership Bill, which actually will be a key driver in the future to enable us to make those changes that we want to make within workplaces in the public sector in Wales, but also in terms of actually creating a shared objective in terms of getting to the fair work Wales we want to see, and actually which is to the mutual benefit of all stakeholders around that social partnership table.