UNIONS AND SKILLS UTILISATION Francis Green Overview Skills

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UNIONS AND SKILLS UTILISATION Francis Green

UNIONS AND SKILLS UTILISATION Francis Green

Overview • "Skills utilisation": a new policy orientation, as part of a long-term strategy

Overview • "Skills utilisation": a new policy orientation, as part of a long-term strategy for skills supply and demand • what role has been envisaged for trade unions; how might this be taken forward? 2

Origin & problem • evidence of increasing under-employment, in the sense of making insufficient

Origin & problem • evidence of increasing under-employment, in the sense of making insufficient use of the qualifications being gained • relatively low employer demand for moreeducated workers in Britain • UK employers quite slow in adopting HIWPs 3

HIWPs 1: the principles • harnessing creativity/ problem-solving • practices include: – regular meetings;

HIWPs 1: the principles • harnessing creativity/ problem-solving • practices include: – regular meetings; suggestion schemes, participating appraisal schemes, quality improvement circles; pay for performance; emphasis on quality recruitment and skills enhancement; high skills utilisation • varied fit: good for complex and dynamic places • win-win argument 4

HIWPs 2: the reality • limited advance of practices • declining levels of workplace

HIWPs 2: the reality • limited advance of practices • declining levels of workplace autonomy 5

Autonomy in British Workplaces 40 35 % of employees 30 25 20 High Task

Autonomy in British Workplaces 40 35 % of employees 30 25 20 High Task Discretion 15 Self-Directing Team 10 5 0 1992 1997 2001 2006 6

Task Discretion in Britain, 1992 -2006 Source: UK Skills Surveys 7

Task Discretion in Britain, 1992 -2006 Source: UK Skills Surveys 7

Unions and HIWPs • What impact on whether they are introduced? – neutral in

Unions and HIWPs • What impact on whether they are introduced? – neutral in practice • What have been unions' effects in cases where HIWPs were introduced? – older study implies positive interactive effects on wages and on productivity – but we don't really know overall 8

The skills utilisation strategy • Project: – lit. review; case studies; measurement project; policy

The skills utilisation strategy • Project: – lit. review; case studies; measurement project; policy review • Strategy: – to orient, prioritise and integrate services for employers, in order to promote the use of HIWPs – not a new policy recommendation; different across 4 nations; different emphases of the new government 9

Unions' envisaged role • micro level: partnerships (as in case studies) • macro level:

Unions' envisaged role • micro level: partnerships (as in case studies) • macro level: involvement of TUC, STUC, ACAS in the policy review process • indirect: – RDAs; through TUC's contacts with employers etc "championing" the HIWP agenda ; through unions directly influencing employers' demand for skills 10

Thinking ahead • Context: large potential benefits • the Commission: delineate better the potential

Thinking ahead • Context: large potential benefits • the Commission: delineate better the potential positive contribution of unions? • unions – seize opportunities for expanded participation – focus more training and research on skills utilisation issues • include skills utilisation issues/HIWPs in training programmes for union officials and shop stewards? • invest in some union-oriented research around issues of job design, links to well-being, H&S etc; 11 learning from Scandinavia?