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 4:42 pm on 14 September 2021.

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Photo of Hannah Blythyn Hannah Blythyn Labour 4:42, 14 September 2021

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm not quite sure where to start with that—it's straight out of the Conservative caricature playbook in reverting back to the 1970s narrative when it comes to trade unions and working people. It's disappointing, but sadly unsurprising. The Member seems to either completely misunderstand the purposes of the Bill—and I'm more than happy to offer a technical briefing at a later stage to enlighten him around that—but also seeks to deliberately misinterpret the purpose of the Bill and the role of trade unions within working within this country. The social partnership council gives an equal footing and equal say around the table to trade unions, to employers from the private, public and voluntary sectors and to Welsh Government. It's about working together to make a difference. You said you support fair work. This is using the levers that we have at our disposal to make a difference, and we've seen during the pandemic just how important that is as we build back not just better, but fairer, and achieve a Wales of fair work.