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The Green Party is pleased to see progress on Fair Pay Agreements, a crucial step towards greater fairness at work for everyone, with Minister Iain Lees-Galloway announcing consultation on a discussion document today.

“Fair Pay Agreements are a crucial tool to provide greater fairness at work for everyone,” says Jan Logie, Green Party Workplace Relations spokesperson.

“As we move to a zero carbon economy, we need businesses to be focused on innovation rather than driving down wages and conditions to save money.

“Fair Pay Agreements benefit everyone by delivering certainty to industry. They give workers a better, consistent standard of pay and conditions and mean employers won’t be undercut by cowboys who exploit workers to lower their operating costs instead of competing fairly on quality and productivity.”

The Green Party will engage with the government consultation and encourages all working people to have their say as well.

“We want to see the six principles outlined in the CTU’s Framework for Fairness taken up by Government,” says Jan Logie.

“That means reasonable thresholds for initiating FPA negotiations, proper representation for workers through their unions, covering contractors as well as employers, and when a majority of workers and majority of employers have settled an agreement, that should be the final word on the matter.

“There’s already been a considerable amount of consensus-building on these issues through the Working Group. These proposals are practical, common sense and fair – for everyone.

“We’re looking forward to Fair Pay Agreements becoming a reality for workers and their families.”