The balance of power in less well-paid sectors is changing for the better. Labour can benefit
The first Covid lockdown inspired an outpouring of gratitude towards the key workers who kept the show on the road, while the rest of us remained indoors. But the weekly applause on doorsteps gradually faded away, as the nation found itself digging in for the long haul. The economic balance of power that had led to low levels of pay for people doing highly valued jobs remained fundamentally unchanged.
Well over a year later, the delivery drivers, food production workers and other employees vital to Britain’s supply chains are back in the headlines. As parliament prepares to return from recess next week, a combination of the pandemic and the effects of Brexit has made labour shortages in these sectors one of the central stories of the summer. And for the first time in decades, it seems the politics of work and the balance of power in the labour market may be changing. Last month, the Unite union won a higher pay rise for beer delivery drivers after threatening strike action. Online shopping deliveries from companies such as Asos and Argos may be delayed if DHL workers vote to reject a 1% pay rise and take industrial action. Meanwhile, an array of bonuses, incentives and inducements is being offered by businesses in an attempt to persuade people to work for them.
