Economic justice network meeting

Join us to discuss Moving the dial on Worker Power: what it is, why its important and the role of funders

The last few decades have seen the rapid decline in the power of organised labour in developed economies including the UK. This has been attributed to structural change in our economies, the decline of previously highly unionised industries as well as changes in the social norms that underpinned the idea of “workers”. 

However, the evidence and our lived experience shows that people are not just cogs in the machine. There is evidence - in the UK and internationally - that perceptions and practice are changing. The power of people as workers can play a positive and constructive part in developing a fair and more “human-centric” economy. 

We will be joined by UK and international experts to explore the issues, current practice and exciting initiatives that seek to address the power and information inequalities in the labour market to enable workers to make informed decisions about their working conditions, access skills and training equitably and join together to improve workplaces.

Speakers:

Colette Murphy is CEO of the Atkinson Foundation in Toronto Canada. Atkinson has a strong focus on the role of workers in the economy and the national and international trends, politics and policies that underpin democratic economies.

Gavin Kelly is CEO of the Resolution Trust which, with the Resolution Foundation is one of the UK’s foremost thought leaders on equitable economic solutions. Most recently, Resolution has been leading an initiative to invest directly in “pro-worker” tech solutions to support workers to address key barriers such as lack of transparency, poor pay, lack of access to training and isolation. 

Sophie Long is Programme Manager for the Sustainable Futures programme at the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. JRCT has a long history of addressing workplace inequities as a social justice issue. Sophie will share insights arising from the many organisations they work with, highlighting opportunities for funders.

Date: 8 May 2024

Time: 2pm - 4pm

Convenors:

Danielle Walker Palmour, director, Friends Provident Foundation
Debbie Pippard, director of Programmes, Barrow Cadbury Trust

This event will take place online. A Zoom link will be sent 48 hours before.

If you would like to discuss access requirements, please contact [email protected].