Key findings from the research show that a collaborative approach between councils, trade unions, and voluntary and community sector organisations can improve workers’ understanding of employment rights and help tackle workplace harms.
Academics from Sheffield Hallam University, Staffordshire University and UCL (University College London) worked with Islington Council through the Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE) project; to look at ways the council can partner with trade unions to tackle poor working conditions in their area.
In their report, the authors looked at the key employment issues that workers in Islington face. These included: low pay and unfair pay practices, insecure employment including agency work and zero hours contracts, concerns for personal safety for couriers and retail workers, and discrimination, especially for migrant workers.
Across Greater London, low pay* is extremely high (35-40%) in key employment sectors like retail and hospitality, with women most likely to be affected, and data suggests that around 25% of residents eligible for the minimum wage are illegally paid below it.
They also found that there was a lack of knowledge of employment rights for these workers and barriers to organising, making it difficult for them to challenge or improve their working conditions.
This collaboration and exploration of employment issues and solutions comes at a critical time for Britain, with the publication of the ‘Get Britain Working’ white paper renewing the focus on breaking down barriers to work under the new government.
Dr Bob Jeffery, who led the research from Sheffield Hallam University, said: “In Islington, as across much of the country, there are serious issues with job quality and some workers face denial of basic employment rights, chronic insecurity, exposure to dangerous workplaces and poverty pay. The research tells us that unionised jobs are better jobs, so it makes perfect sense for local authorities to partner with unions to promote good work. Islington is leading the way on local interventions, but we have developed proposals that will have relevance to all councils.”
Recommendations from the report show how councils could partner with trade unions and promote employment rights through educational activities, local authority procurement processes, promoting investment in advice services and undertaking joint campaigning.
Councillor Santiago Bell-Bradford, Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, Culture and Jobs at Islington Council, said: “Our ambition is to create a more equal Islington, and to achieve that, we must also create a fairer local economy.
“Workers’ rights are an important part of that, and everyone deserves safe, fair, and dignified working conditions. This research highlights the stark challenges faced by some workers and highlights that, by working in partnership with trade unions, we can effectively tackle insecurity and exploitation while promoting good jobs and fair pay. We’re proud to have been part of this important work and to advocate for better employment conditions for all.”
Reflecting on this report, Dr Olivia Stevenson, report author and co-lead of the Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement project said: “This report comes out of a long-term partnership between Islington and UCL-CAPE colleagues, which has been working to convene different actors and taking a collaborative approach to addressing policy challenges. In supporting this work, we’ve underlined the value of collaboration and the critical role that universities can play in working with councils to explore issues of job quality and workers' rights. The report provides practical, evidence-based solutions that not only benefit Islington, but can inform efforts nationwide to promote fair and decent work for people across the country.”
The project, Improving Employment Conditions in Islington: Tackling Work-Based Harms and Promoting Unionisation, was funded by CAPE and Islington Council.
It follows recent work from Sheffield Hallam which looked at tackling labour market injustice across South Yorkshire.
*Refers to the London measure of low pay, which takes into account higher average pay but also much higher living costs.
