In July the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) published their 165th report entitled “ Towards a National Better Work Strategy ”. In the introduction NESC notes that “Better Work is consistent with the Programme for Government 2020 and the White Paper on Enterprise 2022-2030. In the former, the Government signalled its intention, as part of updating the Future Jobs Ireland policy framework, to reorientate policy with a greater focus on increasing the number of quality jobs in the labour market.” (p2)
The report states that “Better Work also aligns Ireland’s national agenda with key international developments, including the European Pillar of Social Rights, which is designed to advance the social dimension of European integration and strengthen the social market economy. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD’s) job strategy (2018) also identifies job quality and inclusiveness as central policy priorities, while emphasising the importance of resilience and adaptability for good economic and labour market performance.” (p2)
In defining ‘better work’ the report notes that “Better Work is a commitment to improving the quality of work in a way that delivers for all stakeholders.” And that amongst its benefits are that “Better Work has the potential to deepen economic resilience and tackle persistent labour-market challenges. Research demonstrates benefits for employees and employers, as well as for the wider economy and society.” (p vi)
On page eight of the report it states that “The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) has highlighted what it calls ‘the problem of low pay’, which it indicates ‘is much greater in Ireland than in most EU countries’ (NCPC, 2022: 64).” And later on NESC cites a study by Remond et al. (2023) that “found that, in comparison with higher-paid employees, minimum wage workers in Ireland are more likely to fear job loss, hold temporary employment contracts, work long shifts of 10 or more hours, work at unsociable times, and work in jobs where their skills are underutilised.”
Under the heading of ‘A Fragmented Labour Market’ the report notes that “There is a growing concern internationally that multiple disruptive drivers of change, such as climate change, digitalisation, demography and globalisation, have accelerated fragmentation and inequality in the labour market and increased the incidence of ‘bad jobs’ (Rodrik, 2022; Rodrik & Stantcheva, 2021b).” (p 11)
On page 14 when exploring the wider benefits of ‘better work’ NESC notes that “Better-quality work is positively associated with increased labour force participation, more inclusive growth, enhanced productivity growth, increased innovation, improved aggregate economic performance and increased domestic demand (Cazes et al., 2015; Gesualdi-Fecteau et al., 2023; Murray et al., 2023; OECD, 2019a; Rodrik & Stantcheva, 2021a; 2021b; Saint-Martin et al., 2018).”
The key recommendation is a proposal for a ‘National Better Work Strategy’. Such a strategy would encompass “actions across a number of policy areas, including:
- sectoral taskforces focused on building more productive and resilient sectors with the capacity to support Better Work;
- social partners being given a central role in the co-design and co-delivery of a national strategy for Better Work;
- a comprehensive and co-ordinated programme of research and survey work to generate robust and timely evidence in support of Better Work; and
- a strategic focus on workplace innovation in Ireland as a key vehicle for improving skills as well as the productivity and performance of firms.”
In the chapter which explores a ‘National Better Work Strategy’, Chapter 6, NESC cites the Labour Market Advisory Council’s Mid-Term Review of Pathways to Work 2021-2025 (LMAC, 2023) which “highlights the need to devote more resources and tailored interventions to help marginalised groups overcome the barriers preventing them from accessing employment. It also stipulates the need for partnership between employers, trade unions, advocacy groups, non-governmental organisations, the Public Employment Services and the Further Education and Training sector in ensuring greater and higher-quality employment opportunities for disadvantaged people. It is suggested that the proposed national strategy for Better Work would support this greater focus on quality work and complement the Pathways to Work Strategy by:
- maximising the benefits of targeting underutilised groups with wraparound supports designed to overcome barriers to labour market participation;
- moving more jobs in the right direction along the job-quality spectrum, which includes jobs taken by those who are entering or re-entering the labour market;
- collecting reliable and up-to-date data on the key dimensions associated with Better Work in order to inform labour market activation policy;
- linking active labour market policies to the proposed suite of sectoral initiatives or taskforces, facilitating these sectors in accessing underutilised pools of labour while providing Better Work opportunities for those seeking to access work; and
- facilitating engagement with employers in the context of activation policies as an opportunity to have an open conversation about making work better.” (p 46)