In your corner, 02 March 2023

Last week, the Labour Leader set out his "five missions" that will form the backbone of Labour's manifesto. There were certainly some welcome themes in there - particularly the focus on long-term change, from sustained growth to green energy, from fixing the NHS to better joined up thinking between governments and businesses, a key REC recommendation. But the detail on how we get there is still missing. To give businesses confidence and certainty, Starmer's team will need to set out more detail in the coming weeks and months. A significant chunk of that detail is likely to come via the National Policy Forum - Labour's framework for policy and manifesto development. The fourth and final consultation process closes on 17 March and the Campaigns team will be sharing submissions, on behalf of REC members on 'better jobs and better work', 'a green and digital future', 'public services that work from the start', and 'a future where families come first'. If members would like to share their views on any of these topics, please get in touch with us via policy@rec.uk.com   

Not to be outdone by his Labour counterpart, the Prime Minister has been pretty busy this week, announcing the Windsor Framework - the latest agreement between the UK and EU to address longstanding issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol. Previous PM's tried and failed to tackle the protocol issues, but it looks like Sunak's gentle diplomacy has won the day…even amongst his own backbenches (for now). In theory, the Framework should make it easier to move goods between GB and NI, effectively removing the Irish Sea border, but this only applies to trade in goods, not services. Although we wait to hear what Northern Ireland's largest Unionist party, the DUP makes of the Framework, the Prime Minister will hope he's done enough to get power sharing at Stormont restored. Ideally, before 10 April - the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. No pressure then. 

The Home Office resumes the review into the Shortage Occupation List

The Home Office and Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) are seeking views from organisations and employers on the roles of oversee workers in the UK’s labour market. Through the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) call for evidence, you can submit your views and data on occupations and sectors where the gap between candidate supply and staff demand is severe. The REC will be responding to the review, which is open until 26 May 2023. If you're interested in feeding into this review, please email Yerin on yerin.seo@rec.uk.com.

Employment related bills to keep an eye on

There are a number of Private Members Bills (PMBs) currently progressing through parliament regarding potential new employment legislation. While there is no guarantee that any of the proposed bills will become law, it is worth being aware of their progress, particularly as some do have government support. These include bills on flexible working, and the right to request more stable contracts. You can find out more about these bills, and the REC’s view on them in our blog explaining what they might mean for the industry. 

REC attends CBI's Future of Work Conference

The campaigns team attended CBI's Future of Work conference on Wednesday, with keynote speeches from Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Shadow Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner. Keegan defended the Apprenticeship Levy - something which certainly didn't land well with many of the businesses in the room - and spoke about the range of schemes that businesses should be making use of including apprenticeships, skills bootcamp and T-Level qualifications. Rayner won the room, telling businesses that Labour will be a “pro-workers and pro-businesses” party. She said a strong labour market and strong employment rights will lead to higher productivity and growth. The REC has written to the Shadow Deputy Leader to request a meeting to discuss Labour's 'new deal for working people', highlighting areas of alignment but also raising some concerns about the potential impact on the recruitment industry, and in particular, the temporary labour market.

REC Member Survey

Please take part in our 3-minute, member-only survey about UK recruitment businesses, delivery models, green jobs, and the future of work. The data you share will help us tailor our business advice and planning publications which will help you with client conversations. You can take the survey here.

Register your interest for Clinical and Healthcare Staffing Framework

The NHS Workforce Alliance has launched the invitation to tender for the next iteration of the Clinical Staffing framework (RM6281) and you can now register your interest. This covers a range of occupations, from nurses and allied health professionals to social care staff. If you are based in London and work with healthcare and emergency services workers, please visit this page to register your interest. The new agreement is due to go live in November 2023 and will succeed the existing Clinical Staffing framework (RM6161). There will be engagement sessions hosted by Workforce Alliance in due course and we will, of course, keep you informed about dates when we have them.

Media Updates

The REC’s call for reform of childcare provision in the upcoming Budget to overcome labour shortages was prominent in the media. REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry penned an article in City AM suggesting our growth problem won’t be fixed by tax cuts unless we get people back to work. Newspapers across the political spectrum reported our key asks of the Chancellor, such as a full review into the current childcare system, increasing funding to providers under the current system and increasing the existing tax-free childcare allowance from £2 for every £8 paid in by the user to £4. Neil also raised childcare matters with national newspaper journalists he met in February.

Research Corner

The REC's latest Labour Market Tracker found that there were 256,855 new job postings in the week of 6-12 Feb 2023 - the highest recorded in 14 months. There were notable increases in adverts for construction trades, including floorers and wall tilers, painters and decorators, construction operatives, and carpenters and joiners.

Look out for our March Report on Jobs, which will be published next Wednesday.