Promoting collaboration with trade unions
We have a strategic duty to promote collaboration between tertiary education providers and relevant trade unions.
We are committed through out Strategic Plan to actively promote social partnership, recognising that collaboration between providers and trade unions is mutually beneficial.
Social partnership is a behavioural framework for collaboration between employers and employee representatives or recognised trade union(s), aimed at promoting mutual benefits and ensuring inclusive decision-making. It is based on trust, respect, and shared goals, fostering an environment where all stakeholders work together towards common objectives.
The model of social partnership adopted by the Welsh Government and public bodies works within this framework to improve public service and economic outcomes, enabling trade unions and employers to be active partners in problem solving.
Social Partnership Duty
Certain public bodies in Wales, including local authorities and Medr, must meet the Social Partnership Duty under the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023. This means that they must seek consensus or compromise with their recognised trade unions, or, where there is no recognised trade union, other worker representatives, when setting and delivering their well-being objectives under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
We aim to ensure learners receive the highest-quality provision in a tertiary education sector that strives for continuous improvement, and while we would consider social partnership the “gold standard” for collaboration, many tertiary education providers, such as further education colleges and higher education institutions, are not subject to the Social Partnership Duty. Our promotion of collaboration with trade unions will therefore take a broader, more flexible approach that can reflect the different needs and contexts of providers.
The Social Partnership and Procurement (Wales) Act 2023
The Welsh Government encourages social partnership, and, in May 2023, the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023 became law.
The Act complements other legislation, specifically the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and aims to improve the economic, environmental, social, and cultural well-being of Wales.
Further education social partnership pilots
Since 2021, the Welsh Government has been working closely with joint trade unions and further education colleges to support the voluntary development of social partnership approaches. This work was initiated by the University and College Union (UCU), and closely linked to initiatives to review workloads and support staff well-being and professional learning in further education. Medr is now responsible for this area of work.
A Social partnership in further education playlist was published on the Hwb website in June 2024 and provides an overview of the development of approaches to social partnership in further education, along with resources and case studies produced as a result of previous pilot projects.
Social partnership principles
Social partnership is a process, but the principles on which it is built can help deliver behavioural and culture change as set out in the Explanatory Memorandum to the Social Partnership and Procurement (Wales) Act 2023.
| Principles | Shared commitment |
|---|---|
| Co-operation | Success through joint problem solving, compromise and reaching consensus. |
| Respect | Mutual recognition of legitimate and potentially conflicting interests. |
| Trust | Relationships based on integrity, authenticity, transparency, openness and selflessness. |
| Voice and Participation | Proactive and timely information, consultation and engagement. |
| Mutual Gains | Achieving improvements in public services, social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing and fair work outcomes. |
Further information: [email protected]
Find out more about Medr’s work
You can subscribe to updates to be the first to know about our publications, news and job opportunities.
Subscribe