Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 1:43 pm on 9 November 2022.

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Photo of Hannah Blythyn Hannah Blythyn Labour 1:43, 9 November 2022

So, I think I should start by saying that the right to withdraw labour and the right to strike is a fundamental human right for workers around the world. But the Member—I don't know whether deliberately or just through misunderstanding—seeks to conflate some of the aspects of the legislation and elements more generally. So, I'll just try and pick that apart in the time that I have this afternoon. The Member talked about trade unions apparently holding public bodies to ransom on procurement. Well, the socially responsible procurement process is conducted by those public bodies. We then have a social partnership council, and a public procurement sub-group, which is made up of equal representation of Government, employers and trade unions to work through any challenges that come and to look to mediate. There is no sign-off or ransom, as the Member puts it. 

And the other element the Member conflates in his questioning is around working in social partnership and industrial relations and industrial disputes. Social partnership is a way of working—working collaboratively and working together. The legislation in Wales does not seek to legislate on any industrial relation matters, and that is distinctly separate from what the legislation sets out to do.