In August 2023, the Jimmy Reid Foundation published an Assessment of Fair Work in Scotland, supported by the Alex Ferry Foundation. The Scottish Government set a target for Scotland to become a Fair Work Nation by 2025, and our paper recommended actions to help achieve this goal. In this follow-up report, we review the progress so far and ask, ‘Is Scotland now a Fair Work Nation?’
We analyse the progress in enhancing working lives in Scotland. Employment rates remain steady, unemployment is slightly lower than the UK average, and pay rates are marginally higher, with notably higher uptake of the Real Living Wage than in the rest of the UK. Collective bargaining and trade union membership are also more prevalent in Scotland. Nevertheless, the fundamental issues of low pay, poor working conditions, and limited voice in many workplaces continue to affect the Scottish labour market. There is little evidence that this overall situation has changed significantly since 2023.
We revisited the trade unions and workplace representatives who contributed to the 2023 assessment. No respondents believed that the goal of becoming a Fair Work Nation had been achieved, and most reported that little had changed. However, some respondents identified improvements at their workplaces since 2023, particularly regarding precarious employment and union recognition. Their primary demand remains for quicker and stronger action. We revisit the 19 recommendations from the 2023 paper. Limited progress has been made on most of these recommendations, and this analysis shows a continued reluctance to utilise all government levers or take decisive action swiftly.
So, is Scotland now a leading Fair Work Nation? The short answer is no. The longer answer is more nuanced. Scotland’s Fair Work initiative has made a limited but positive contribution to improving working lives, especially in the wider public sector. Ambition, pilot schemes, and guidance are important, but they must be followed by more concrete action.