This report, stemming from a long-term partnership between CAPE and Islington Council, explores key employment issues that workers in Islington face, and how the council can partner with trade unions to tackle poor working conditions in their area.  

Recommendations from the report show how councils could partner with trade unions and promote employment rights through educational activities, local authority procurement processes, promoting investment in advice services and undertaking joint campaigning.

On the report and partnership, Dr Olivia Stevenson, report author and UCL co-lead of CAPE noted:

“This report comes out of a long-term partnership between Islington and UCL-CAPE colleagues, which has been working to convene different actors and taking a collaborative approach to addressing policy challenges. In supporting this work, we’ve underlined the value of collaboration and the critical role that universities can play in working with councils to explore issues of job quality and workers’ rights. The report provides practical, evidence-based solutions that not only benefit Islington, but can inform efforts nationwide to promote fair and decent work for people across the country.”

The report was produced as part of a CAPE Policy Challenge Fund, which provided policy organisations with an opportunity to pose specific challenges for researchers to tackle. For this challenge Islington Council partnered with CAPE & academics Bob Jeffery (Sheffield Hallam University) and David Etherington (University of Staffordshire)

What should I read?

• If you work in the third and voluntary sector, councils, or unions and want to take action read the full report 
• If you work in the third and voluntary sector, councils, or unions and you want a concise overview of the topic and options, read the executive summary 
• If you work within a council and want evidence of the challenges and opportunities, indications of what is working, and why the issue needs addressing, download the key stats