Mar92017

Code of Practice for Ethical Employment launched

HM Government • Welsh Government
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At the centre of the Code is a focus on guaranteeing good employment practices for the millions of employees involved in public sector supply chains.  

All public sector organisations in Wales, businesses and third sector organisations in receipt of Welsh public sector funding will be expected to sign up to the code.  Other organisations and businesses based in Wales are encouraged to sign up to the code.

The new code covers six key subjects, containing 12 commitments, ranging from unlawful and unethical practices to good and best practice.  It has been developed with the support of the Workforce Partnership Council and social partners including Unions.

The first subject is Modern Slavery, estimated to affect fifty million people worldwide including in the UK and Wales.  The Code of Practice, and accompanying guidance, will enable staff to spot and deal with allegations and to identify and assess spend areas at higher risk of modern slavery and human right abuses.  

The second area in the Code is Blacklisting, when workers are discriminated against if they join a Union or raise Health and Safety concerns.  The Code of Practice, and accompanying guidance, contains a commitment to ensure suppliers are not using blacklists and sets out how to avoid companies that have not taken the issue seriously.

The next three areas relate to terms and conditions of employment, including Zero hours contracts, Umbrella Schemes and False Self-Employment.  The Code of Practice, and accompanying guidance, will help staff to differentiate between fair and unfair practices.  The Guide also includes a Fair Work Practices tender question to deal with these issues through procurement.

The final area relates to the Living Wage and contains a commitment to consider paying all staff a Living Wage as a minimum.

In signing up to the Code, organisations will agree to comply with the 12 commitments designed to eliminate modern slavery and support ethical employment practices.

Mark Drakeford said:  

“I am very pleased to be launching our Ethical Code in Supply Chains at the Workforce Partnership Council today.  This is a ground-breaking piece of work – and an excellent example of what working in social partnership across Wales can deliver. 

“The Welsh public sector spends around £6bn every year on goods, services and works involving international supply chains.  The uniting factor is the people involved in each stage of these supply chains.

“It is therefore vital that good employment practices are at centre of all public sector projects here in Wales.  This new code will play an important role in helping achieve this and in turn tackle unfair employment practices and contribute to improved conditions for workers.  

“I expect all public sector bodies in Wales, Welsh businesses and suppliers to the Welsh public sector to sign up to this code.  It is only by working together that we can help deliver a better, and crucially, a fairer deal for workers in our supply chains in Wales and throughout the world.”

Martin Mansfield, Wales TUC General Secretary said:   

“This new code of practice is a very welcome step on the way to ensuring that Wales becomes a ‘fair work nation’.

“Welsh government has a strong commitment to address exploitative and unethical employment practices and is taking action to enforce that.  The Wales TUC wants to see all the powers and influence available to government used to ensure people are treated fairly at work.

“Wales has many great employers who provide career opportunities and development for staff and work in partnership with unions.  However there are still too many bad bosses who seek to exploit workers and undermine decent standards in order to enrich themselves.

“This code is an indication that Wales will not tolerate exploitation.  Now we need similar action to ensure decent work and fair treatment are the only way in Wales.”

Alison Ward, Chief Executive, Torfaen County Borough Council said:  

“Public sector employers in Wales are strongly committed to the wellbeing of all those who deliver services to the public, whether they are employed directly or through contractual arrangements. We welcome the principles set out in the Code of Practice in Ethical Employment in the Supply Chain, and we hope to see it ensure fair treatment for everyone involved in the demanding job of providing good public services in times of austerity.”

Mar92017

These NHS performance statistics are a damning indictment of Theresa May’s neglect of our NHS – Jonathan Ashworth

HM Government
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Responding
to the latest NHS monthly performance statistics, Jonathan Ashworth MP,
Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said:

“These
NHS performance statistics are a damning indictment of Theresa May’s neglect of
our NHS. She’s overseen an unprecedented winter crisis, in which almost a
thousand people waited over twelve hours on trolleys, compared to just 17 in
January 2011. The Government once again missed its four hour A&E target and
seems content with a 504 per cent increase in the number of patients waiting
over four hours for admission since January 2011.

“Speaking
to the Reform think tank earlier, Jeremy Hunt joked at his dislike of targets.
This is no laughing matter: patients in this country have faced the worst
winter crisis in the history of our NHS and it is shocking that Jeremy Hunt has
indicated he doesn’t expect to hit the A&E target until 2018. The Health
Secretary has been in position for four and a half years and this simple isn’t
good enough.

“Yesterday’s
Budget announcement should have been an opportunity to genuinely place the NHS on
a sustainable footing. And yet the Chancellor’s mere offer of £100 million for
capital funding simply isn’t enough, meaning the NHS will continue facing its
biggest financial squeeze in history and head-for-head investment will fall
again next year.

“The Tories are overseeing a startling collapse in standards and Theresa May is
still in complete denial as to the sheer scale of the crisis. Jeremy Hunt must
be clearer about what action he’s going to take to make sure patients and their
families never have to go through a winter like this again.”

Mar92017

These statistics demonstrate the total failure of Tories’ punitive social security regime – Debbie Abrahams

Labour
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Debbie
Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on
the Social Security and Child Support tribunal statistics, said:

“These
statistics show that two thirds of contested PIP and ESA assessment decisions
are being overturned by the courts, demonstrating the total failure of the
Tories’ punitive social security regime.

“This
follows the news last week that the Government is ignoring a court ruling and
denying 160,000 disabled people the support they need.

 “We
cannot allow disabled people to bear the brunt of failing Tory austerity.
Labour will transform the social security system to ensure that, like the NHS,
it is there for us all in our time of need.”

Mar92017

News story: Fisherman and owner fined £38,201 for fisheries offences

DEFRA
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Klaas Kramer and Island Fishing Company Limited (master and owner of the vessel Eben Haezer GY57) pleaded guilty to breaching fisheries regulations at North Tyneside Magistrates Court.

The court heard how between November 2015 and January 2016 the vessel repeatedly fished in the North Sea ‘Cod Recovery Zone’ despite having exceeded the maximum number of days at sea which the vessel was allowed to spend in that area with regulated fishing gear under the regulations. Investigations by the MMO found that the vessel exceeded the 200 day limit by over 37 days over eight separate fishing trips, contrary to section 4(9) of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967. The MMO had sent the vessel owners a letter reminding them that they were within 1 day of the limit in November 2015, but the vessel continued to fish, which resulted in the prosecution.

Mr Kramer was fined £3,200 with a victim surcharge of £120 for his role as master of the vessel on seven of the trips.

Island Fishing Company (of which Mr Kramer is a Director and shareholder) was fined an initial £9,200, with an additional fine of £24,000 which the magistrates indicated represented the net profit of the illegal fishing, costs of £1,561 and a victim surcharge of £120.

A spokesman for the MMO said:

“The fines issued by the magistrates in this case send a clear message to the small minority of fishermen who seek to put profit first by failing to comply with the regulations. By issuing an additional fine of £24,000, which the bench indicated that they felt represented the profit from the illegal fishing in this case, the court has made it clear that sentences for unlawful behaviour should deprive offenders of the economic benefit of offending.

The MMO is clear that the vast majority of fishermen operate lawfully and in compliance with regulations which exist to protect fisheries from overfishing and are in place to ensure healthy, sustainable fisheries for this and future generations of fishermen. In the rare instances that non-compliance is detected, MMO uses a risk-based enforcement strategy and operates a graduated and proportionate system of sanctions, with prosecution reserved for the most serious offences.”

Mar92017

News story: Fisherman and owner fined £38,201 for fisheries offences

HM Government
image_pdfimage_print

Klaas Kramer and Island Fishing Company Limited (master and owner of the vessel Eben Haezer GY57) pleaded guilty to breaching fisheries regulations at North Tyneside Magistrates Court.

The court heard how between November 2015 and January 2016 the vessel repeatedly fished in the North Sea ‘Cod Recovery Zone’ despite having exceeded the maximum number of days at sea which the vessel was allowed to spend in that area with regulated fishing gear under the regulations. Investigations by the MMO found that the vessel exceeded the 200 day limit by over 37 days over eight separate fishing trips, contrary to section 4(9) of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967. The MMO had sent the vessel owners a letter reminding them that they were within 1 day of the limit in November 2015, but the vessel continued to fish, which resulted in the prosecution.

Mr Kramer was fined £3,200 with a victim surcharge of £120 for his role as master of the vessel on seven of the trips.

Island Fishing Company (of which Mr Kramer is a Director and shareholder) was fined an initial £9,200, with an additional fine of £24,000 which the magistrates indicated represented the net profit of the illegal fishing, costs of £1,561 and a victim surcharge of £120.

A spokesman for the MMO said:

“The fines issued by the magistrates in this case send a clear message to the small minority of fishermen who seek to put profit first by failing to comply with the regulations. By issuing an additional fine of £24,000, which the bench indicated that they felt represented the profit from the illegal fishing in this case, the court has made it clear that sentences for unlawful behaviour should deprive offenders of the economic benefit of offending.

The MMO is clear that the vast majority of fishermen operate lawfully and in compliance with regulations which exist to protect fisheries from overfishing and are in place to ensure healthy, sustainable fisheries for this and future generations of fishermen. In the rare instances that non-compliance is detected, MMO uses a risk-based enforcement strategy and operates a graduated and proportionate system of sanctions, with prosecution reserved for the most serious offences.”