The Work-Life Balance Trust
An independant charity, with no political affiliations
WHAT ARE POLITICIANS OFFERING FOR YOUR VOTE?
The Work-Life Balance Trust is an independent charity with no political affiliations. However, it was decided to list Work-Life Balance promises in the current political manifestos, because these are clearly relevant both to the Trust's work and aims and your future.
Having skimmed both Labour and Conservative Manifestos - both printouts an inch thick - it is clear that Labour devotes the most space to W-LB issues, although it must be said that the Conservative Party devotes more space than Labour to other issues that worry people, such as immigration. The Conservatives have many interesting proposals, but in their manifesto I can find no specific work-life-balance proposals. The Trust is particularly disappointed because, at the request of Michael Howard, Shirley Conran was recently asked to brief the Rt Hon Gillian Sheppard on Work-Life Balance. Shirley also discussed these issues with the well-informed Conservatives, Teresa May and Caroline Spelman.
EXCERPTS FROM POLITICAL MANIFESTOS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION
In some current political manifestos, work-life-balance is referred to as "family issues", or "family policy" which is not a specific enough phrase to cover work-life-balance issues, as they also extend into the workplace.
THE ONLY RELEVANT EXCERPT THAT WE COULD FIND IN THE CONSERVATIVE MANIFESTO (A quotation)
"We will tackle EU over-regulation by, amongst other action, withdrawing from the most burdensome EU regulations, including the Social Chapter."
That is not good news for anyone interested in work-life-balance.
LABOUR CRITICISM OF RELEVANT CONSERVATIVE POLICY (quotations)
The Conservatives are opposed to measures to improve work-life balance
From his time as Employment Secretary onwards, Michael Howard has been a vociferous opponent of basic minimum rights for workers. His opposition to the Social Chapter, which enshrined rights such as maternity leave, paternity leave, paid leave and rights for part-time workers, is deep and long-standing.
The Tories have opposed every measure that Labour has introduced to help people balance work and life. In addition to voting against better rights for mothers, fathers and adoptive parents, the Tories opposed the right to four weeks' paid holiday. They also opposed regulations to give part-time workers the same rights as full-time workers. Their attacks on "red tape" are code for scrapping these basic minimum standards.
Labour will guarantee every new working mum an extra £1,400 by extending maternity pay and adoption pay from six months to nine months by April 2007, with the goal of a year's paid leave by the end of the next Parliament. This is a guarantee that Michael Howard has refused to match.
The Tory threat to people at work
The right to paid leave, maternity leave and paternity leave are all enshrined in the Social Chapter. But Michael Howard has made no secret of his determination to abandon this commitment to basic minimum standards at work:
"We want out of the Social Chapter, which is a threat to British jobs"
(Michael Howard, conference speech, 5 October 2004).
Oliver Letwin, the Shadow Chancellor, is clear that there would never have been a Social Chapter under a Conservative Government:
"We would not have entered the Social Chapter … We said that if the Social Chapter was implemented in Britain, it would lead to a vast expansion of regulation that would have a damaging effect on the productivity of our business"
(Oliver Letwin, press conference 22 April 2004).
RELEVANT EXCERPTS FROM THE LABOUR MANIFESTO (quotations)
MAKING LIFE EASIER FOR FAMILIES
Labour wants working families to be able to balance their work and family life.
We will support parents financially and help them balance the competing pressures of work and family life.
That's why our priorities are to provide more support for all parents through better maternity and paternity provision, better access to flexible working patterns, more advice and help for parents when they want it.
WHAT HAS LABOUR ACHIEVED?
Supporting new mums and dads. Labour has extended paid maternity leave from 18 weeks in 1997 to 26 weeks now and almost doubled Statutory Maternity Pay from £55 a week in 1997 to £106 a week from April 2005. We have introduced two weeks' paid paternity leave for fathers for the first time and given all employees the right to take time off work to deal with family emergencies.
Improving your work-life balance. Labour has introduced a new right for parents with young and disabled children to request flexible working and a duty on employers to consider these requests seriously. Nearly a million families have secured flexible working hours since the new right was introduced.
More childcare. We have delivered a free, part-time nursery place for every three-and four-year-old whose parents want one.
Over 500 local Sure Start programmes have also been set up.
We've set up over 8,000 after-school clubs for parents who need support after the school day ends.
In all, Labour has created 1.2 million new childcare places since 1997, and we have given parents help with the costs of childcare through the Childcare Tax Credit.
WHAT WILL LABOUR DO?
Extending maternity and paternity rights. Labour will extend paid maternity leave to nine months from April 2007, giving working mothers an extra £1,400 with a goal of 12 months paid leave by the end of the next Parliament. We will also give mothers the right to transfer a proportion of their maternity leave and pay to fathers, to give parents more choice about caring for their children in the first year of life.
Childcare for all three- and four-year-olds. By 2010 we will guarantee 15 hours a week of free, high-quality care for 38 weeks a year for every three- and four-year-old.
Out-of-school care. Labour wants to help parents balance their work and family commitments, so we will provide an out-of-school childcare place for all three-to 14-year-olds from 8am to 6pm each week day by 2010.
More affordable childcare. We will increase the proportion of childcare costs covered by the Childcare Tax Credit from 70 per cent to 80 per cent by April 2006.
A Sure Start Children's Centre in every community. Labour's goal is to see a Children's Centre in every community - that's 3,500 centres by 2010. These will bring together childcare, health, parenting and family support for parents with young children.
A fairer deal for carers and parents with older children. Labour believes that carers should receive much greater recognition for their contribution to society. We will look at extending the right to request flexible working to carers, as well as to parents of older children.
PEOPLE AT WORK
Getting more out of work. People want and need a job but they also want to be treated fairly, have the chance to develop and use new skills, to make a better contribution to the success of their workplace and to strike the right balance between work and family life. We will work to help people achieve these aspirations.
WHAT HAS LABOUR ACHIEVED?
National Minimum Wage - tackling poverty pay. The introduction of Labour's National Minimum Wage (NMW) was an historic achievement. Seven out of 10 of those benefiting are women. The NMW rose to £4.85 in October 2004, benefiting over one million people, and will rise again to £5.05 in October 2005 and to £5.35 in October 2006.
More rights at work. For the first time Labour has given every employee the right to four weeks' paid holidays. We have introduced new rights for people to have time off for domestic emergencies and to request flexible working. We are also supporting the principle of the EU Agency Workers' Directive. Protection against unfair dismissal has been strengthened and we have introduced new protections against dismissal or victimisation for whistleblowing.
For the first time, a fair deal for part-time workers. Part-time workers now have the same rights as full-time staff, including equal pro-rata pay, pension and holiday entitlement.
WHAT LABOUR WILL DO
A better place to work. Labour supports partnership at work between employers and employees. A partnership approach, that respects each partner's contribution to the success of the workplace, can be a powerful way of bringing improvements in productivity, encouraging better customer service and creating a better place for people to work.
Supporting good workplaces. Labour knows that good workplaces with a committed workforce are good for employers and employees alike, and for the UK's economic success. To help promote better workplaces we will work with employers and trade unions on information and standards, on good employment practice, including the value of investing in the skills of your workforce. This initiative will build on the successful Investors in People model.
Providing the right career advice. In a third term, a Labour Government will develop a new nationwide service giving more intensive, personal guidance through the web and telephone helplines, linking skills, jobs and training. In particular, we will provide effective advice to help those from all ethnic minority backgrounds who may be facing discrimination, and to mothers and carers who are returning to work.
Tackling the gender pay gap. Labour will take firm action to tackle the scandal of unequal pay. We have set up the Women and Work Commission, chaired by Baroness Margaret Prosser, to take a systematic look at the reasons behind the persistent gap between men and women's pay. There is currently a 14 per cent gap for full-time work and a 43 per cent gap for part-time workers.
Right to bank holidays for all. Labour will extend the right to four weeks' paid holiday, delivered by Labour in 1997, by ensuring it is in addition to Bank holidays. This will mean up to an extra eight days holiday every year, for over two million workers.
PRESIDENT: Shirley Conran OBE
TRUSTEES: Lindsay Cook Janet Fitch Sandra Hepburn
PATRONS: Gillian Ayres OBE The Baroness Brigstocke CBE Professor Petruska Clarkson Elaine Clifton
Professor Nigel Coates Jasper Conran Sebastian Conran Dr Dennis Friedman Kathy Gilgunn Richard E Grant
Felicity Green Hill Lady Irvine Lynda La Plante Prue Leith OBE Nonie Niesewand Sian Phillips
Mary Quant OBE Maureen Rice Professor Andrew Samuels Professor Jane Somerville Christopher Ward
Michael Wolff Peter York Jennifer d'Abo Girton College St. Paul's Girls' School William Morris Academy
W-LB Trust Charity Commission Registration No. 1088149
'Work-Life Balance Week is organised and run by W-LB Limited (Company No. 4154218) with the assistance of a media-based Advisory Committee. For projects which are charitable, the company receives financial and other assistance from Work-Life Balance Trust, registered charity no. 1088149'
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