Memorandum submitted by Southern &
Eastern Regional Trades Union Congress (SE 14)
INTRODUCTION
The Southern and Eastern Region of the Trades
Union Congress (SERTUC) represents around 800,000 trade union
members and their families in the SEEDA Region. In the Greater
South East of England (SEEDA, EEDA and LDA), SERTUC represents
more than two million trade unionists.
TUC affiliated trade unions represent the workforces
in the private, public and voluntary sectors.
In the private sector:
manufacturing, food, construction, the wide range of the service
industries that make up the service sector, health and social
care, finance sector, hospitality, retail, utilities, printing
and publishing, creative, communications, media and transport.
In the public sector: government departments,
government agencies, local government, postal, health and social
care, all areas and levels of education.
In the voluntary sector: trade union
members are in all the wide variety of paid voluntary sector activities.
Many individual trade union members are also unpaid volunteers
in voluntary organisations
Trade unions and their members make a significant
contribution to the economy of the South East and play a major
part in its development.
In reality, there is not a sector of the economy
or community that trade unions and their members do not have an
involvement or interest in.
SERTUC is pleased to make a contribution to
the South East Regional Select Committee inquiry into the South
East England Development Agency and the Regional Economic Strategy.
SERTUC would also be willing to attend the inquiry to answer any
questions on our submission or any other questions the committee
might like to ask.
KEY BULLET
POINTS
— SEEDA makes good efforts to be accountable.
— SEEDA has shown willingness to engage partners and stakeholders
in developing the RES.
— The RES is widely tested for "Fit
for Purpose".
— Manufacturing in the south east is the
powerhouse of the UK economy and must be supported. Public sector
investment is a key factor against economic depression.
— Proposed changes to RDAs give us concern
about a possible increase in narrow local or party-political focussed
interests, rather than the wider strategic picture.
— SEEDA has developed a relationship with
public and private sectors across government agencies.
— Business support is more than Business
Link.
The role, responsibilities and accountability
of SEEDA
1. SERTUC believes that SEEDA takes its
role and responsibilities seriously and therefore tries to make
itself accountable. SERTUC has always had an open relationship
with SEEDA. We have attended all the annual SEEDA meetings and
have found them useful and informative.
2. SERTUC has been to the recent economic
briefings (which also included the Minister for the South East
Jonathan Shaw) and found them well organised with a cross section
of views. SEEDA's stewardship of these meetings has led to healthy
debate and an openness on the realities of the economic issues
facing the South East.
3. SERTUC has also submitted evidence (both
written and oral) to the SEERA Select Committees. SEEDA's performance
at these SEERA Select Committees has been robust, open and willing
to listen and take on board any criticism and respond in a positive
way.
The process by which the RES was drawn up and
the level of involvement of regional stakeholders
4. SEEDA is unique in that it is the only
Regional Development Agency in England that has a Social Dialogue
Forum. This forum brings together representatives of business
(CBI, IOD, EEF, TUC, trade unions), major private sector companies,
and from the public sector regional local authority representatives,
GOSE, NHS, as well as Government Agencies HSE and ACAS. Thus the
SDF is a major stakeholder grouping.
5. The SDF is chaired by a SEEDA Board member
and has an agreed work programme. Through the chair the SDF reports
directly to the SEEDA Board. During the process of drawing up
the Regional Economic Strategy the SDF had a very close involvement
and was able to input a joint SDF submission. This was clearly
important as it put forward the unified view of the major partners
of the economic priorities of the region. At every stage of the
evolving RES, the SDF and its members were consulted and at a
number of the regional road shows SDF members gave presentations.
This process went on with other regional stakeholders. Within
the process of developing the RES, stakeholders like the SDF were
allocated the responsibility of delivering on key targets of the
RES.
6. SERTUC, through its Regional Secretary,
is part of the senior group of regional stakeholders monitoring
the progress of the RES (SEEDA's RES Steering Group), and SERTUC
has attended the ongoing RES Partner meetings.
The effectiveness of the RES for the South East
in delivering against its targets including the degree to which
the regeneration of areas of deprivation and the former coalfield
areas has been successful
7. With the economic downturn it is SERTUC's
understanding that the RES has been constantly tested as to effectiveness
and relevance to the current economic situation, this has certainly
been the most important theme at any economic briefing: "is
the RES fit for purpose". Prior to the downturn, SEEDA
recognised the need for regeneration, not just of the coalfield
areas, but in areas like Hastings and Chatham, where regeneration
has led to economic improvements and thereby improvements in the
standard of living—not just financially, but also regarding
the well being of the community.
8. SEEDA's strategy, set out in its Coastal Contours
Policy document, is an attempt to deal with the differing level
and types of economy (rural, urban) and deprivation that impact
on a very diverse region.
The effect of the financial and economic situation
on businesses in the region including the effect on different
sectors such as manufacturing, service industries etc
9. SERTUC's view is that the current financial
and economic situation is impacting on the south east economy
in differing ways: sectoral, geographical, differing timing of
impacts—and not just on the private sector, but also on
the public sector.
10. SERTUC is concerned that the strong regional
manufacturing base is being eroded and a strong emphasis should
be kept by funding (with possible wage subsidy schemes) skills
and training maintenance, with robust provisions for public sector
procurement.
11. SERTUC is very concerned about the drop
in job vacancy levels in already deprived areas (for example the
Isle of Wight). The drop in job vacancy levels will impact on
those entering the job market, either for the first time or for
those wanting to come back.
12. In the financial sector, the differential
impact of job losses, especially to the lower paid and mainly
female employment. SERTUC is very concerned by the job losses
in the public sector, particularly in local authorities, which
we feel are unnecessary.
13. SERTUC also recognises that some parts
of the south east economy are holding up well and the south east
has a fairly robust economic structure. SERTUC believes that if
the economic downturn continues for a long period of time, the
debilitating effect will not only be in the south east, but the
UK economy as a whole. The SEEDA region, as part of the Greater
South East, is the economic powerhouse of the UK's economy. SERTUC
believes that more, rather than less, financial investment, whether
public or private, should come to the south east.
The changes to regional policy proposed in the
Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill and
the potential effect on the work of SEEDA
14. SERTUC has serious concerns about the
shift of emphasis from a pan-regional approach to a more sub-regional
approach. We recognise the need to involve local stakeholders,
democratic structures, the community and those socially excluded,
as well as specifically local needs. However we know that economic
and employment interests have political boundaries that are porous,
and that there are wider social and economic interests that go
beyond any sub-regional or local authority boundaries.
15. The south east is particularly impacted on
by its interrelationship across and beyond the region, with its
travel to work patterns and the importance of London, its global
companies who are located in the south east because of its international
transport links, along with its relative high skill and highly
educated workforce that attracts companies—the south east
has national and global importance.
16. SERTUC is particularly concerned that
in the proposed restructure narrow local interests could prevail,
and that, indeed, powers devolved to a sub-regional or sub-sub-regional
level could be abused for party political purposes.
17. In addition, it is looking extremely
likely that stakeholders who are now currently involved in shaping
the region will be excluded or pushed to the sidelines.
18. We should note here that cuts to Regional
Development Agencies' funding are likely to threaten the continued
meaningful engagement of regional partners.
The role of other Government agencies such as
the Government Office for the South East, and of partnerships
between Government agencies, local government and the private
sector, in delivering the aims of the RES
19. SEEDA has developed a good relationship
with GOSE and the various Government Departments and other government
agencies, such as HSE and ACAS, along with the private sector.
To illustrate this relationship, SERTUC can give two examples:
(a) The Social Dialogue Forum of SEEDA, which
brings together private, public sector, government agencies, and
trade unions to deliver key RES objectives on: Older workers,
Flexible working, Healthy workplaces. The SDF is working with
SEEDA and other stakeholders and partners to develop a coordinated
approach to the delivery of these RES objectives.
(b) Workwise South East is part funded by SEEDA and
chaired by the Department of Health Regional Public Health Director,
with partners from the public and private sectors, and trade unions
from the SDF.
How effective initiatives such as Business Link
are being in assisting businesses in the current climate, including
helping them to gain access to funding both from Government funding
streams and through the banking system
20. Business Link has recently been reorganised
to have a stronger regional focus and now provides a more integrated
service to its small business clients, it is developing but has
a narrow client base of SMEs. Business Link produces on a regular
basis its Hot Topics Spotlight, which covers business issues
impacting on the region including banking and loans. Importantly,
SEEDA has initiated with JCP and ACAS its Continuing Employment
Support Service (CESS), which is a rapid response to threatened
or real redundancy situations, and covers all sectors of the private
sector, large and small companies. SEEDA has also provided its
own loan scheme. Business Link should not be seen on its own but
as a part of a wider business support provided by SEEDA.
21. SEEDA has organised regular meetings with
regional banking leaders—SERTUC remains to be convinced
that the banks are responding appropriately to the requests, from
either SEEDA or the government, as regards appropriate loans being
made available in a timely fashion to either employers for business
development, or to individuals for mortgages for house purchase.
| 
