Key findings from the research “Improving Employment Conditions in Islington: Tackling Work-Based Harms and Promoting Unionisation” shows that a collaborative approach between councils, trade unions, and voluntary and community sector organisations can improve workers’ understanding of employment rights and help tackle workplace harms.
Academics from Sheffield Hallam University, University of Staffordshire and UCL (University College London) worked with Islington Council through the Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE) project; to look at ways the council can partner with trade unions to tackle poor working conditions in their area.
In their report, the authors looked at the key employment issues that workers in Islington face. These included: low pay and unfair pay practices, insecure employment including agency work and zero hours contracts, concerns for personal safety for couriers and retail workers, and discrimination, especially for migrant workers.
David Etherington, Professor of Local and Regional Economic Development, University of Staffordshire, said “Working jointly with the London Borough of Islington, a forward-thinking Council, provided an exciting opportunity to assess how local government can collaborate and support trade union organisation and representation of vulnerable groups.”
Dr Bob Jeffery, who led the research from Sheffield Hallam University, said: “The research tells us that unionised jobs are better jobs, so it makes perfect sense for local authorities to partner with unions to promote good work. Islington is leading the way on local interventions, but we have developed proposals that will have relevance to all councils.”
Councillor Santiago Bell-Bradford, Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, Culture and Jobs at Islington Council, said: “Our ambition is to create a more equal Islington. This research highlights the stark challenges faced by some workers and highlights that, by working in partnership with trade unions, we can effectively tackle insecurity and exploitation while promoting good jobs and fair pay. We’re proud to have been part of this important work and to advocate for better employment conditions for all.”
Dr Olivia Stevenson, report author and co-lead of the Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement project said: “This report comes out of a long-term partnership between Islington and UCL-CAPE colleagues, which has been working to convene different actors and taking a collaborative approach to addressing policy challenges.
“In supporting this work, we’ve underlined the value of collaboration and the critical role that universities can play in working with councils to explore issues of job quality and workers' rights. The report provides practical, evidence-based solutions that not only benefit Islington, but can inform efforts nationwide to promote fair and decent work for people across the country.”
- Improving Employment Conditions in Islington: Tackling Work-Based Harms and Promoting Unionisation (Jeffery, B., Etherington, D., & Stevenson, O. (2024). CAPE Report, UCL, London. DOI: 10.14324/000.rp.10200679. To access the full report, visit UCL Discovery: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10200679/)