Low Pay Commission starts its 2019 visits
09 April 2019
In March, the Low Pay Commission (LPC) visited Swansea, Neath and Cardiff in the first of its regional visits this year to gather evidence for its recommendations regarding the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates for those aged under 25.
The LPC is based on a social partnership model comprising employee representatives, employer representatives and independents. Three commissioners travelled to Wales with one representative from each part of the social partnership: Kate Bell (Trade Union Congress), Sarah Brown (University of Sheffield) and Martin McTague (Federations of Small Businesses).
We met with employees and their representatives as well as businesses in Swansea, Neath and Cardiff to find out what is happening in the region in terms of the labour market and the local economy. We also met with a group of young people from Swansea to discuss their experiences in finding work in the region.
The LPC wrote in a recent blog that it was told that the main issue faced by employers in the region relates to shortages of labour and hiring and retention issues, with some employers responding by paying higher wages to attract and keep staff. Many employers expressed concerns about the impact of Brexit leading to more labour shortages, especially in the case of skilled staff.
Although employers said they were struggling to find workers, some of the workers the LPC spoke talked about the continued poor quality of work, including non guaranteed hours, a lack of sick pay, and poor treatment and a feeling that being sick would result in disciplinary action. However, the Commissioners highlighted that they were very pleased to hear that people in the region are ‘very clued-up’ on the NMW/NLW rates and what they are entitled to.
You can read more about the LPC’s visit to Wales in this blog.
The LPC has a reputation for being evidenced based and these visits are essential for helping to gather as much information as possible across regions and in a timely fashion. You can find out more about the LPC's 2019 visits and why they need YOUR help.
CIPP comment
The Low Pay Commission (LPC) opened its annual consultation on the levels of the National Minimum Wage rates last month.
The Policy team will be publishing a survey in due course to gather views and evidence from the payroll profession.
We will also be holding a Think Tank roundtable event. The date and venue are yet to be confirmed but if you would like to register your interest to attend, please email us at policy using LPC as the subject.