As the referendum debate nears its final month the currency has again been the hot topic and whether it is feasible to use sterling in an independent Scotland. All three main opposition parties used First Minister’s question time to ask essentially the same question about control of economic factors if the sterling is used after independence and in particular the statement from the Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney. He stated that contingency plans had been drawn up which was welcomed by the First Minister. The other leaders though questioned the control Scotland could assert on sterling and the lack of a plan B if sterling was not an option given that the unionist parties had ruled out a currency union. Indeed earlier in the week the chief secretary to the Treasury insisted he would oppose currency union if there was yes vote.
While this academic debate continues skills for young people were also in the news with the announcement from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) of a plan to encourage more young people to take up engineering. They say that the Plan aims to meet future demand of 2,500 job opportunities a year in £9billion industry. Further, the Scottish Government announced Record higher education acceptances for Scottish students. So hopefully Scotland’s future skills needs can be met.
One statement that received much less coverage was a positive news story about trade unions as the Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women’s Employment Angela Constance welcomed the Report of the Working Together Review chaired by former Scottish government minister, Jim Mather. The Minister stated that:
“The review group has produced a thorough, well-evidenced and insightful report on the sorts of progressive labour market policies and practices which are likely to enhance business productivity through more effective engagement between employers and employees.”
I am personally pleased she thought so as I have spent the last few months as part of the secretariat for the review collecting evidence from the leaders of Scottish unions and distilling that into the report. There were some fantastic stories of individuals who had turned their lives around due to access to learning through their unions but also of examples where union knowledge had helped companies move into new markets and even in one case turned around a failing manufacturer due to the political influence of the union and the STUC. The report calls for a greater voice for unions in public bodies based on the evidence that union leaders are contributing an in-depth understanding of the functioning of organisations and how they can be improved including savings.
The most profound point made in the report though, was that what happens in the workplace is as important in its influence on a business’s growth as macro-economic factors and that there may be greater scope for intervention in workplace practice than exists in relation to macro-economic variables. Something to ponder as the referendum debate continues to concentrate on the pound, tax rates and interest levels.