Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

National living wageEmployee relationsCollective bargainingLatest NewsTrade unions

Improve collective bargaining or face Victorian conditions: TUC

by Jo Faragher 5 Sep 2019
by Jo Faragher 5 Sep 2019 The TUC is also campaigning for a £10 national minimum wage
Gareth Fuller/PA Archive/PA Images
The TUC is also campaigning for a £10 national minimum wage
Gareth Fuller/PA Archive/PA Images

UK workers risk being subjected to 19th-century working conditions if the balance of power is not reset between employers and their staff, according to the TUC.

There will be more economic inequality and more people will be in insecure jobs if there is not decisive action on increasing wages and improving collective bargaining, the union federation organisation has stated. It has called for a £10 national minimum wage and a ban on zero hours contracts as a way of redressing that balance.

Collective bargaining

Outsourced workers lose collective bargaining bid 

Collective bargaining and agreements 

“There are 3.7 million people in insecure work, nearly two million (1.85m) self-employed people earning less than the minimum wage and workers still facing the longest pay squeeze for 200 years,” it says, claiming that the share of economic output going to wages has fallen to 49%, compared with 57% between 1945 and 1975.

At the same time, union membership and collective bargaining coverage have fallen to 23% and 26% respectively, compared with 54% and 70% of workers having access to this support in 1945-1975.

The TUC argues that increasing the number of workers who can be covered by collective bargaining is the most effective way to raise wages and improve conditions.

In its report, A stronger voice for workers: how collective bargaining can deliver a better deal at work, it favours a similar model to New Zealand, where unions are allowed access to all workplaces to tell employees about the benefits of union membership.

The union also calls for new rights to make it easier to negotiate collectively on issues not just around pay but also other issues such as workload or family-friendly rights.

The TUC adds that mandatory joint bodies should be set up in different sectors for unions and employers to negotiate pay, conditions and training, starting with low-wage sectors hospitality and social care.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We’re at risk of going back to 19th-century working conditions. Millions of workers have no control and no voice at work, with increasing numbers stuck on low pay, zero-hours contracts, and in sham self-employment.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“We urgently need to reset the balance of power in our economy and give people more of a say about what happens to them at work. We know that collective bargaining is the best way to raise wages and improve conditions – so let’s expand it across the whole workforce.”

Employee relations opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more Employee Relations jobs

TUC
Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

previous post
Firefighter union calls for urgent recruitment drive
next post
Company to make single-use plastic a disciplinary offence

You may also like

Ryanair demands flight attendants pay back salary increase

21 May 2025

Union rep teacher awarded £370k for unfair dismissal

15 May 2025

How can businesses build protections for gig workers?

7 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

Resident doctors to ballot for strike action

2 May 2025

Ofgem workers ballot for strike action

2 May 2025

University of East Anglia set for nine days...

2 May 2025

Unite announces further Gatwick airport strikes

2 May 2025

Employment Rights Bill must be tightened to protect...

1 May 2025

Acas hosts talks to end Birmingham bin strike

1 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+