, First Minister: I am pleased
to announce two new members of the Social Partnership Council
(SPC).
I recently wrote to the nominating bodies seeking nominations for
vacant worker and employer representative positions. I can
confirm that Siân Boyles, Public and Commercial Services Union
(PCS), and Russell Greenslade, Confederation of British Industry
Wales (CBI), accepted my invitation to join the SPC.
I would like to welcome Siân and Russell to the SPC. They began
their three-year term on 1 February.
Siân replaces Darren as a worker representative, and
Russell replaces as an employer representative. I
would like pay tribute to both Darren and Ian for their service
and for being a part of the inaugural SPC.
The Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023
(the Act) established the Social Partnership Council, which I
chair as First Minister. The membership is made up of employer
and worker representatives from the public, private and third
sectors in Wales.
The SPC provides information and advice to Welsh Ministers about:
- The social partnership duties the Act imposes on public
bodies and the Welsh Ministers.
- The pursuit of the A Prosperous
Wales wellbeing goal by public bodies when carrying out
sustainable development under the Well-being of Future
Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
- The socially responsible public procurement functions
conferred on contracting authorities and the Welsh Ministers
under Part 3 of the Act.
The SPC works in an open and transparent way. Information and
advice provided to Welsh Ministers, meeting papers and minutes,
are published in all but exceptional circumstances on
the Social Partnership
Council website.
The SPC embeds social partnership at the heart of the Welsh
Government, and I am confident that working closely and
constructively with employers and workers representatives in this
way will enable us to realise mutually beneficial improvements in
equality, fairness and wellbeing in workplaces across Wales.
The SPC is a relatively new body and has achieved a lot since it
first met on 1 February 2024.
To date, there have been five regular meetings. In that time, I
have consulted the SPC on the Welsh Government's 2024-2025 Draft
Budget, the Welsh Ministers legislative priorities, and the Welsh
Government well-being objectives. This has discharged the social
partnership duty for 2024.
The SPC have also endorsed an A.I report produced by the
Workforce Partnership Council, on A.I implications for the
workforce, and are considering next steps. They have agreed to
establish working groups to consider: the use of Welsh Government
financial support to business; and the issues to support Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion. The SPC have also discussed the impact
of the UK Employment Rights Bill currently making its way through
Parliament.
Siân and Russell will join the existing membership of the SPC:
Worker Representatives
Ruth Brady, GMB
Neil Butler, National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women
Teachers
Peter Hughes, Unite the Union
Gareth Lloyd, University and College Union
Shavanah Taj, Wales TUC Cymru
Jess Turner, UNISON
Mike Walker, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
Helen Whyley, Royal College of Nursing
Employer Representatives
Pippa Britton, Voluntary Sector
Dame Elan Closs-Stephens, Public Leaders Forum
Ben Cottam, Federation of Small Businesses
Councillor , Welsh Local Government
Association
Professor Wendy Larner, Cardiff University
Nicola Prygodzicz, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Janis Richards, Make UK Ltd
Kathryn Robson, Adult Learning Wales
