5. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership: Update on the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:51 pm on 14 September 2021.

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Photo of Hannah Blythyn Hannah Blythyn Labour 4:51, 14 September 2021

I thank the Member, Jack Sargeant, for his contribution, and for actually using the opportunity to highlight the positive case for trade unions and actually to disabuse the reality from the rhetoric and the myths around it. We saw in north-east Wales thousands of well-paid jobs saved because, in social partnership, the trade unions worked with the employer to actually come up with a solution to safeguard those jobs for the future as well.

The Member is absolutely right to make sure we've got a piece of legislation that can make the difference we want it to make. So, as you'll be familiar with, in the draft Bill we left the definition around the fair work duty open, and from the conversations we have had with partners and stakeholders, the definition that will be on the Bill will be the definition as recommended by the Fair Work Commission, which we're already signed up to. Then, of course, around that, we will have to explore what the levers are that we have that we are responsible for, where we can make those practical differences, whether that be through things that we said before like skills, training or other opportunities as well.