Committee
Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee 04 November 2015
04 Nov 2015 · S4 · Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee
Item of business
Work, Wages and Wellbeing Inquiry
The business pledge did not emanate from my portfolio, but that does not mean that I am not actively involved in pursuing it. I guess that this is like procurement—it does not emanate from my portfolio, but that does not mean that I have no interest in it. One of the hallmarks of my portfolio is that it is leaky round the edges. The business portfolio is not the only one that has a bit of an overlap with mine—that also applies to social justice and education. There is a broad area around the edge of my portfolio that impacts on other portfolios, and other portfolios impact on us.
In the same item of business
The Convener
Con
Under item 2, we are continuing our inquiry into work, wages and wellbeing in the Scottish labour market. Today, we will have our final evidence session. I w...
The Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training (Roseanna Cunningham)
SNP
Yes, just for a couple of minutes. Thanks very much for the invitation to contribute to this inquiry. The link between work, wages and wellbeing is pretty mu...
The Convener
Con
Thank you, cabinet secretary, for that introductory statement. We will now move to questions. We will cover a range of the topics that you mentioned in your ...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
The last part of your question would lead us into a discussion of subjects such as wage subsidies and so on, and I do not know whether that is where you want...
The Convener
Con
That is an interesting answer. Where are we with that conversation? Is it already happening, or is it something to which you aspire?
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
I am already having those conversations. In fact, the conversations have been going on for quite a while. The purpose of our continued focus on the living w...
The Convener
Con
Let me go back to my original question about mechanisms. In the course of the inquiry, we have looked at the question of conditionality. For example, people ...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
There are conversations about whether more specific things can be done through mechanisms such as those that you have suggested. However, we wanted to get th...
The Convener
Con
Okay. Johann Lamont has a question on the wages issue.
Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab)
Lab
I was interested in what you said about the small business bonus scheme, cabinet secretary. It feels as if that would be a good area in which to explore cond...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
That is an important aspect, because the situation can almost be turned on its head. I have conversations with people in which I say that the living wage has...
Johann Lamont
Lab
It would be useful to know what dialogue you have directly with unions, particularly those representing workers in very pressured areas such as the retail an...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
It is. We have regular conversations and—I do not want to name names of companies because that would not be fair—I am conscious that there are some big compa...
Johann Lamont
Lab
The evidence was from the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers representative last week, who indicated that the union has had only very limited con...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
I am happy to talk to anybody, and I have had meetings with a variety of unions as well as directly with the STUC. Of course, half of the members of the fair...
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
SNP
Good morning, cabinet secretary. You mentioned the fair work convention in your opening comments, and you referred to it again just now. It was set up on the...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
You would probably find a great many definitions of fair work. It may be that one of the early conversations that the fair work convention members had was to...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
I think that that is my question.
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
I do not particularly like any of the definitions I have seen. I could tell you what I think a good job is, but that would be an entirely subjective assessme...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
But, in general terms, the fair work convention must have a reasonable definition that it is trying to bring parties together on.
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
The fair work convention will be working and developing a sense of how it sees the issue. I have tried to stay as hands-off as I can on that. I have occasion...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
You are confirming what the co-chairs said to us, which is that they are really quite autonomous. The co-chairs also said that they are trying not to be too ...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
I am not quite sure what you are asking me. I suppose that you could grow the definition of wellbeing to draw in just about everything right across the board...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
That is my point. Is wellbeing the thread that is running through all the themes to ensure that, when we are looking at a specific such as the living wage, w...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
To a certain extent, yes, but it is very difficult to define wellbeing. As I said just a few minutes ago, I could give you a subjective definition of good wo...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
I know that the Deputy First Minister has always said that there are things such as equality that go across all portfolios. I am probably trying to ascertain...
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
As I think I said earlier, it is hard for me to answer a question that is, in effect, for the fair work convention. Genuinely, I am not sitting in on meeting...
Dennis Robertson
SNP
But it is good is a favourable outcome. Are you confident that the stage 1 report will be ready and available in March?
Roseanna Cunningham
SNP
Do you mean the phase 1 report—the blueprint?
Dennis Robertson
SNP
Yes.