Published July 2013 Price £9.99
Workplace democracy is not a panacea for the problems of low pay and poverty, but – as the evidence gathered in this report demonstrates – it can make a significant contribution to solving the problem. Indeed, as the report shows, the institutions and policies to support workplace democracy and tackle low pay that are commonplace in western Europe (and were once present in the UK) are now notable for their absence. The report does not argue for a return to the corporatist policies of the past or pretend that remedying the power imbalance in the workplace will be easy or free of conflict. Rather, it calls for more “inclusive” labour market policies, with stronger measures to promote workplace democracy (such as corporate governance reform), fair wages in the public-sector supply chain and skill-building programmes for the unemployed. Furthermore, the policies for tackling low pay and in-work poverty are presented as an integrated package and considered as part of the agenda for a more efficient and responsible form of capitalism.