Decent work is “fundamental to our future success” – says TUC leader

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak will today (Thursday) say that decent work is “fundamental to our future as a nation” and must be “at the heart” of overdue economic reforms. 

Speaking at the TUC's Decent Work conference in London, alongside Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones MP, Paul Nowak will warn that poor-quality, insecure work is harming the UK's productivity. 

He will argue that “fundamental change” is needed now, and that – rather than being a burden on business – stronger workers' rights will benefit employers and the economy. 

Opening the conference at Congress House this morning, Paul Nowak will say: 

“Decent work is fundamental to our future success as a nation. It is the foundation on which we build a stronger, fairer economy.  

“And it is the key that unlocks prosperity, security and opportunity for all. 

“But decent work doesn't happen by accident. It's a political and economic choice. 

“We must choose to do things differently and address the UK's big problem with bad work. 

“We have one in eight workers trapped in insecure work, well over a million workers on zero-hours contracts – and of the 15 million people living in poverty in Britain today, over half are in work. 

“These are not just statistics. These are real people not knowing where their next pay cheque is coming from or whether they'll earn enough to feed the kids or pay the bills.” 

Highlighting the economic cost of insecure work, Paul Nowak will say: 

“Poor-quality work doesn't just exact a huge human toll. There's a massive economic cost too. 

“It undermines our productivity, costs the Exchequer billions in lower tax receipts, and sees taxpayers subsidising low-paying employers through the benefits system. 

“All this explains why we need fundamental change.” 

Highlighting the positive impact strengthening rights will have on business, Paul Nowak will add: 

“The Bill will bring Britain within the international mainstream – and prevent the majority of good employers from being undercut by the cowboys and the dodgy bosses. 

“And it will help address chronic churn in our economy, with so many firms struggling to recruit and retain staff. 

“Over the past few weeks, we've heard quite a bit from lobbyists about the challenges facing British business. 

“But instead of a one-sided focus on costs for business, it's time to highlight the benefits. 

“Because all the evidence shows that employers will gain from a happier, healthier, more productive workforce. 

“Better working conditions will reduce annual staff turnover rates of over 50% in retail, tackle the 131,000 vacancies that are undermining the delivery of social care, and address staff shortages that are reaching critical levels across the economy.” 

TUC Decent Work conference 

In addition to the minister, today's conference – which is supported by supported by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust – will hear from a range of experts including: 

• Margaret Beels OBE, Director of Labour Market Enforcement at the Department for Business and Trade. 

• Sandrine Cazes, OECD economist. 

• Michael Ford KC. 

• Professor Damian Grimshaw, Professor of Employment Studies, King's College London. 

• Michele O'Neil, President Australian Council of Trade Unions. 

• Sir David Norgrove, Chair of abrdn Financial Fairness Trust. 

• Stephen Phipson, Chief Executive, Make UK. 

• Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive, NEF; and 

• Petra Wilton, Director of Strategy and External Affairs at the Chartered Management Institute. 

There will also be testimonies from working people sharing their experiences about why the Employment Rights Bill is so needed to improve the quality of work in the UK. 

ENDS 

Notes to editors: 
- TUC Decent Work conference: The conference will run from 9am-4.45pm. For more information: https://tuc.zohobackstage.com/DecentWorkConference2024