DOCSLIB.ORG

REPORT of the Future of Work Commission 2 FUTURE of WORK COMMISSION Foreword by Tom Watson MP 5

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
REPORT of the Future of Work Commission 2 FUTURE of WORK COMMISSION Foreword by Tom Watson MP 5 REPORT OF THE Future of Work Commission 2 FUTURE OF WORK COMMISSION Foreword by Tom Watson MP 5 Introduction 6 Executive Summary 9 Chapter 1: Laying the Foundations 23 The Commission’s principles 24 Work is valuable in itself 24 Work should provide dignity 25 Work should offer security 26 Work should promote autonomy 27 Good work should be available to all 28 Measuring good work 29 The need for cooperation 31 Chapter 2: The Trends 33 Lessons from history 34 Wider social and cultural changes 35 Technological changes 36 Digitisation and computing 36 Artificial Intelligence (AI) 37 Robotics 39 Economic changes 41 The pace and scope of change 41 Labour market effects 44 Broader economic effects 50 Chapter 3: Our Recommendations 59 Prioritising good work 60 Skills for the future 67 Promoting innovation 70 New models 75 Labour rights and standards 79 Ethics 84 ANNEX 85 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 94 FUTURE OF WORK COMMISSION 3 FOREWORD Work, and our experience of work, shapes our society and our nation. Work is at the centre of people’s lives, communities and the economy. When it changes, we change too. And the world of work is changing – fast. The single most important driver of this change is the new technological revolution.1 The impact of technological innovation can also be seen across a range of current social and economic trends: real wages are falling, inequality is rising, and productivity growth is slowing. These trends characterise the ‘Britain isn’t daily experience of millions of working people. prepared for the technological This is what the Future of Work Commission, which I convened and co- chaired alongside Helen Mountfield QC, has explored over the past year: revolution. We The future of work in Britain in the context of the technological revolution. must act now.’ Tom Watson MP, We need to face the most pressing challenges and opportunities of the technological revolution in ways that will spread new benefits to every Co-Chair citizen and accelerate transition for the common good. Innovation and social justice should advance together.2 ‘We need to master the new Britain is unprepared for the technological revolution. Our research, technological and that undertaken by individual Commissioners, supports this view. We think this revolution will be at least as great as anything we have revolution seen in the past. The accessibility of technology, the breadth of its to create a applications and the use of huge new data-sets may well increase the revolution in pace of change further. This demands strategic planning: the policy good work.’ choices we make now will shape how technological change continues to Helen Mountfield QC, affect the work and lives of our citizens. Co-Chair We need a sharper and more consistent focus on work that will harness new opportunities and share the benefits of the technological revolution for the common good. Work provides us with an income: wages are the single most important determinant of our living standards. And it is our jobs that connect the living standards of individuals, households and families with the economic growth of our nation. But the work-wage bargain is more than a by-product of the pursuit of profit. Good work sustains us as individuals and binds us as a society. To take full advantage of technological change – to increase and spread its benefits and shape a future which is both prosperous and fair – we need to create, value and sustain good, fairly-paid work for our citizens into the future. This is the best way to champion the British entrepreneurial spirit and buck some of the most troublesome trends we currently face. This goal should be placed at the heart of our policy and political thinking. Doing so will empower people and put citizens at the centre of action. It will contribute to our sense of civic identity and citizenship. And measuring good work will give us a measure of our progress, as a 1 We define ‘technology’ broadly, to include robotics, artificial intelligence society, through the age of technology. This Commission wants Britain (AI) and machine learning (ML), the internet, big data analysis, the internet to take pride in building a future of good work. We must start now. of things, digital technologies; combining and applying these technologies in diverse ways; and also to the collection of techniques, skills, processes and knowledge used by humans in relation to these technologies. Tom Watson MP 2 Our Terms of Reference are set out in Annex 1 Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Convener and Co-Chair, Future of Work Commission FUTURE OF WORK COMMISSION 5 ‘Technological INTRODUCTION progress is transforming our economy, THIS REPORT with significant This report starts from first principles. Chapter 1 explores the meaning consequences for of work. It sets out the foundational principles which define our vision pay, security and of what good work is, and describes how we can measure our progress quality of work. towards it. The need to act is Chapter 2 explores how technology is already transforming work, urgent.’ and the world in which the principles set out in Chapter 1 must be Daniel Susskind, applied to realise our vision of a future of good, fairly paid work as the Commissioner technological revolution unfolds. It identifies the social and economic challenges we must confront and new opportunities for job creation – to increase productivity and make work better. ‘Co-operation This points to a radical rethink of our social, economic and cultural is a model with institutions to manage transition and meet new challenges. The a proven track problems of inequality and job insecurity are not new. But the solutions record. It is will need to be. working around Chapter 3 sets out our recommendations. We explore new priorities the world.’ and new institutions, new rights and new responsibilities. We set out Claire McCarthy, the first steps that can be taken to achieve the social and economic Commissioner conditions which will spread the benefits of technological change and secure a future of good, fairly-paid work available equally to every citizen. ‘The best way One theme runs through this report: co-operation. To harness the to generate opportunities of technological innovation and manage transition in the and spread best possible way, we must rediscover what it means to build a society based on co-operation: one that benefits everyone. Growth, innovation, the benefits and good work, are built together. Missions are fulfilled, and practical of technological solutions built, together. The technological revolution demands that innovation is we work together for our common good, combining our strengths, to create good, and seeing our institutions not just as agents of competition, but of fairly paid work co-operation too. for our citizens.’ Only together can we build a fair, dynamic economy for the common Naomi Climer, good – creating good, fairly paid work through the technological Commissioner revolution for the many, not the few. 6 FUTURE OF WORK COMMISSION WHO WE ARE The independent Future of Work Commission was convened by Tom Watson MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, in September 2016. It is co-chaired by Helen Mountfield QC. This report aims to support policy development. It is independent of the Labour Party and does not represent Labour Party policy. Individual Commissioners are not responsible for specific facts or recommendations. The Commission’s terms of reference and a list of Commissioners are set out in Annex 1. WHAT WE HAVE DONE This year the Commission has: Developed research with Commission economists, machine learning analysts and political philosophers Undertaken new survey research coordinated by the trade union USDAW Called and considered evidence from the public and stakeholders across Britain Hosted three public evidence sessions Collaborated with InnovationRCA, which has hosted an innovation challenge for students and start-ups: Our Place in the World: The Future of Work Commissioned a YouGov poll Participated in workshops, design-thinking, conferences and roundtables, including those hosted by the TUC, Leicester Centre for Sustainable Work and Employment, and Chatham House Joined a public dialogue with our commissioner Michael Sandel at a school in Dagenham aired by the BBC: Would Life Be Better if Robots Did All The Work? Analysed evidence obtained by the Science and Technology, Work and Pensions and BEIS Committees, and all other published material relevant to our mission. In addition, many of our Commissioners have independently undertaken work which is relevant to our terms of reference, some of which is ongoing, and which has informed the Commission’s recommendations. We are grateful to the Commissioners for sharing their work, and to their researchers and institutions for significant support this year. The Commission will continue a dialogue with stakeholders and consult widely on their mission, guiding principles, first recommendations and implementation during through the second phase of work. FUTURE OF WORK COMMISSION 7 8 FUTURE OF WORK COMMISSION | FIRST REPORT: DRAFT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Work is more than simply a factor in the process of production, like capital or land. It isn’t just something people do in between leisure, family life and sleep, or just to pay the bills. Good work is part of people’s identities. It enriches our lives, and enables us to be fuller and better citizens. It reminds us that we – as individuals, communities, and a society – build our own future. That means that questions about the future of work – questions about how work is changing – are political questions as well as economic ones. Changes to work cannot be left for market forces alone to shape, or thought of purely as business decisions. They affect all of us. And the governments we elect have a responsibility to make sure that the work and lives of the citizens they represent are enhanced, rather than diminished, by technological innovation.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Blair and Israel
    This is a chapter in my 2002 The Rise of New Labour, which is still available for virtually nothing on-line from Amazon and Abebooks. It originally appeared in Lobster 43 and seems worth reposting in the context of the Al Jazeera revelations about Israeli operations in British politics.1 Blair and Israel Robin Ramsay In January 1994, three months before John Smith’s death, the then shadow Home Secretary Tony Blair, with wife Cherie Booth, went on a trip to Israel at the Israeli government’s expense - a trip, incidentally, neither the Sopel nor Rentoul biographies of Blair mentioned.2 Blair had always been sympathetic to Israel, had shared chambers with Board of Deputies of British Jews President Eldred Tabachnik,3 and had joined the Labour Friends of Israel on becoming an MP. Two months after returning from Israel, Tony Blair was introduced to Michael Levy at a dinner party by Gideon Meir, the number two in the Israeli embassy in London.4Levy was a retired businessman who had made his money creating and then selling a successful record company and had become a major fund-raiser for Jewish charities. Levy was ‘dazzled by Blair’s drive and religious commitment’ and the two men became friends.5 A month later the leader of the Labour Party, John Smith, died, and Blair won the leadership election contest with Gordon Brown – in some accounts with financial 1 See for example <http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/israels- parliamentary-plot-uk-politicians-170107220710691.html>. 2 See the profile of Michael Levy in the Daily Express 26 June 2000.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Lunch 2013 2 July Keynote Speech By
    Annual Lunch 2013 2nd July Keynote speech by Guest of Honour Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP Shadow Foreign Secretary First let me say it is good to be here at today’s LFI annual lunch. This is a wonderful event and it simply wouldn’t happen were it not for the support, hard work and friendship of many gathered in this room today. In particular can I thank the sponsors of today’s event - Sir David Garrard and Isaac Kaye, who are not only tireless campaigners for Israel, but also great supporters of the Labour Party and much admired advocates for all of our shared causes. I am also delighted to see Trevor Pears, Sir Trevor Chinn, Sir Ronald Cohen and Lord Michael Levy among today’s guests. I want personally to thank each of you for the support you give LFI, and for all the work you do to promote peace in the Middle East. Can I also pay tribute to LFI’s outgoing Chair, John Woodcock, and congratulate Anne McGuire on her recent appointment. Anne is a friend, a formidable campaigner and a respected parliamentarian, and I am confident she will do a wonderful job in her new role. I also want to welcome LFI’s Vice Chairs: Michael Dugher, Louise Ellman, Michael McCann, Jonny Reynolds, Rachel Reeves and Chair in the Lords Baroness Ramsay – alongside all the shadow cabinet and parliamentary colleagues gathered with us today. In particular can I thank the LFI team – including the Chair of the Board Jon Mendelsohn – who has offered me invaluable support and advice for many years now – and to Jennifer Gerber and Ben Garratt who have done so much to make today possible.
    [Show full text]
  • Making the Progressive Case for Israel – an LFI Book
    M a k i n g Making the progressive t h e p r o case for Israel g r e s s i v e c a s e f o r I s r a e In memory of David Cairns l E d i t e d b y B e n G a r r a t t Edited by Ben Garratt L a b o u r F r i e n d s A series of essays compiled by o f I s Labour Friends of Israel r a e l Working towards a two state solution [email protected] 020 7222 4323 Please join Labour Friends of Israel at www.lfi.org.uk Making the progressive case for Israel A series of essays compiled by Labour Friends of Israel in memory of David Cairns, former Chair of LFI Foreword by John Woodcock MP Edited by Ben Garratt Contributions by Dr Brian Brivati , Adrian Cohen , Michael Dugher MP, Louise Ellman MP, Dr David Hirsh, Dr Peter Kyle , Meg Munn MP, Robert Philpot , Baroness Ramsay , Rachel Reeves MP, Jonathan Reynolds MP, Steve Scott and Wes Streeting Contents Contents v Acknowledgments vii Foreword ix by John Woodcock MP Making the progressive case for Israel 1 A speech by David Cairns MP Israel’s thriving economy: active government support 9 and a strong base for social welfare by Rachel Reeves MP and Jonathan Reynolds MP Championing, not undermining, human rights in Israel 17 by Dr Brian Brivati Justice and the defence of progressive values: the 25 centrality of the rule of law in Israel by Adrian Cohen Trade Unions and Israel: building bridges for workers 31 rights and peace by Michael Dugher MP and Steve Scott Israel in the world: an outward expression of 35 progressive values by Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale v MAKING THE PROGRESSIVE CASE FOR ISRAEL Israel’s
    [Show full text]
  • Negation and Presupposition 79
    University of Huddersfield Repository Nahajec, Lisa Margaret Evoking the Possibility of Presence:Textual and Ideological Effects of Linguistic Negation in Written Discourse Original Citation Nahajec, Lisa Margaret (2012) Evoking the Possibility of Presence:Textual and Ideological Effects of Linguistic Negation in Written Discourse. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/17537/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. Users may access full items free of charge; copies of full text items generally can be reproduced, displayed or performed and given to third parties in any format or medium for personal research or study, educational or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge, provided: • The authors, title and full bibliographic details is credited in any copy; • A hyperlink and/or URL is included for the original metadata page; and • The content is not changed in any way. For more information, including our policy and submission procedure, please contact the Repository Team at: [email protected]. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/ Evoking the Possibility of Presence: Textual and Ideological Effects of Linguistic Negation in Written Discourse Volume 1 of 2 Lisa Nahajec A thesis submitted to the University of Huddersfield in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2012 The University of Huddersfield 1 Abstract This thesis explores the textual and ideological effects of linguistic negation in written texts.
    [Show full text]
  • Robbins Rebooted Rebooted Robbins
    Robbins Rebooted Robbins Rebooted How We Earn Our Way in the Second Machine Age Robbins Rebooted In this pamphlet, the Shadow Minister for Universities, How We Earn Our Way in the Second Machine Age Science and Skills, the Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, sets out options for reforming Britain's universities to boost the The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP country's knowledge economy and open high paying How We Earn Our Way in the Second Machine Age technical and professional jobs to all. Kindly supported by Robbins Rebooted How We Earn Our Way in the Second Machine Age by The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP Kindly Supported By FIRST PUBLISHED BY The Social Market Foundation, August 2014 ISBN: 978-1-904899-95-2 11 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3QB Copyright © The Social Market Foundation, 2014 The moral right of the authors has been asserted. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book. THE SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION The Foundation’s main activity is to commission and publish original papers by independent academic and other experts on key topics in the economic and social fields, with a view to stimulating public discussion on the performance of markets and the social framework within which they operate. The Foundation is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.
    [Show full text]