Labour Research October 2016

News

Listen to workers


A report by research body the Smith Institute on the UK’s productivity challenge has emphasised the importance of listening to workers and trade unions. 


Based on the views of thousands of workers from a range of occupations, the report says: “Improving productivity growth year on year won’t be easy. But it will surely be a much harder journey without the involvement and co-operation of the workforce.”


Responding to the study, Paddy Lillis, deputy general secretary of the Usdaw retail union said: “For too long the debate around productivity has failed to listen to the voices of workers, so too many of the strategies to improve productivity have been based on cutting jobs, hours, terms and conditions.”

www.smith-institute.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Working-harder-not-smarter.pdf