New laws bid to boost pay of Welsh workers
ANEW initiative has been launched aimed at recommending new laws in a bid to improve the pay and conditions of thousands of workers across Wales.
Former Counsel General Mick Antoniw’s legal expertise has been sought by the Wales TUC to see if trade union pay bargaining can be introduced in certain industries.
Nisreen Mansour, policy officer with the Wales TUC, said: “We want to see how far the Welsh Government can go in this new area. A group chaired by Mick Antoniw will be taking legal advice to see whether it will be possible to insist on pay bargaining in circumstances where employers supply goods and services to the Welsh public sector to where companies are being grant aided by the Welsh Government.
“We are not seeking the devolution of employment law to Wales, but we believe there may be scope to argue that extending bargaining rights in certain sectors would be in line with the devolution settlement.”
New regulations to regulate working arrangements in the social care sector are said to show what could be achieved.
FORMER Counsel General Mick Antoniw is to lead a major initiative driven by the Wales TUC aimed at recommending new laws that could improve the pay and conditions of hundreds of thousands of workers across the country.
The Pontypridd Labour AM, who before his election to the National Assembly was a partner with Thompsons Solicitors, was the driving force behind the successful campaign to regulate agricultural wages in Wales.
The Welsh Government defeated an attempt by Westminster to block the move at the Supreme Court.
Now his legal expertise will be used by the Wales TUC to see whether trade union pay bargaining can be introduced in other industries.
Nisreen Mansour, policy officer with the Wales TUC, said: “We want to see how far the Welsh Government can go in this new area.
“A group chaired by Mick Antoniw will be taking legal advice to see whether it will be possible to insist on pay bargaining in circumstances where employers supply goods and services to the Welsh public sector or where companies are being grant aided by the Welsh Government.
“We are not seeking the devolution of employment law to Wales, but we believe there may be scope to argue that extending bargaining rights in certain sectors would be in line with the devolution settlement.”
Ms Mansour said that new regulations introduced last month to regulate working arrangements in the social care sector showed what could be achieved.
The regulations have enabled workers in the sector not to be forced to accept zero hours contracts.
Employers are now required to give domiciliary care workers a choice of contract after they have been employed for three months.
The regulations also require providers to ensure that time for travel and care is clearly set out, so that care time and therefore the quality of care is not eroded by the need to travel between visits.
Social Care Minister Huw IrrancaDavies said on the day the regulations came into force: “The new regulations are designed to support continued improvement in the care sector in Wales.
“They offer staff in the social care sector a fairer deal and help to safeguard the quality of care and support which people receive in their own homes.”
Ms Mansour said: “By linking