1. Will the Commission provide an update on the progress of negotiations that have led to the announcement of strike action by Commission staff on 1 February? OQ59009

The Commission is not involved in any formal negotiations with trade unions representing Commission staff at present. The current pay arrangements of the Commission are in place until March 2025, and the Commission enjoys a positive partnership with its local officials. The British representatives of PCS have confirmed that there is a formal dispute, however. The strike on 1 February is as a result of a dispute with the UK Government on a series of broader principles—a pay rise, pensions justice, job security and no cuts in redundancy terms. As a Commission, we respect the right of trade union members to strike.

Thank you for that. It sounds, therefore, that the reasons for the strike relate to decisions taken by Westminster rather than any dispute between the Commission and its staff. That reflects the general position in Wales when it comes to workers in the public sector, where funding decisions are taken in Westminster and those decisions will sometimes lead to some constraints on the negotiations that can happen.

Without a funding settlement that's based on need, Wales will always be at the whims of decisions made in the English Treasury. And, of course, funding isn't the only issue here. The UK Government has shown a total disregard for Welsh workers, announcing an intention to scrap the Trade Union (Wales) Act 2017. 

I would say that the only way of guaranteeing rights for workers would be to devolve employment law to this place. I know that's beyond any issue that you could give a view on, but if that were to happen—if employment law were to be devolved—could you give us any idea of which principles the Commission would follow in negotiating any pay or conditions issues with the staff in the Senedd?

You're trying to tempt me now to give you all kinds of political answers to that question. I don't think it's a secret to anybody to hear me say as an individual that I'm in favour of more devolution of powers to this Senedd. However, in the context of this specific question regarding the strike next week, to confirm once again that there is no specific dispute between us and our local staff in the context of the pay arrangements that are in place until 2025. And I do hope that that does reflect, on behalf of the Commission and across the parties in this Senedd, our respect to the open and sensible debate with the trade unions, that represent out workers here, and our respect for their right to strike as well, if they have practical issues and principles, and they wish to do so.